War of the Roses
by wisegirl502
Summary: When Ren is rescued by a mysterious white wolf, he goes in search to find her. In doing so, he finds out he's entering himself into a different war that even his savior doesn't know is going on even though it involves her and her pack. Her secret is also the reason the Guardians retain their ability to change, and little does Ren know that he possesses an unknown power as well.
1. White Rose

**So this is my newest FanFiction story. I'm changing a few things that happened in the last book of the trilogy because I absolutely hated the ending. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy!**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**The relationship of a girl and her favorite novel can be complex indeed."  
****~Shay Doran**

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Chapter 1: White Rose

_Renier Laroche got ready to attack his so called 'father'. The turmoil within him was overbearing, overpowering. First and foremost, he hated Emile Laroche with every ounce of both his human and wolf beings. This man was the reason his mother had died, the reason his _true_ father had died. _

_Second, his Lily was falling in love with someone else. He couldn't stand Shay. The only reason he hadn't killed him yet was because Calla would never forgive him if he did. Ren didn't want to know what his life would be like without her._

_The emotions overtook his rationality and using his powerful hind legs, Ren leaped towards his Emile, realizing in mid-air that he had over-jumped and that his father was going to be able to bite his neck. Ren knew in that instant he was going to die, and he was okay with it._

_He braced for the impact, but it never came. A flash of white fur barreled into Emile Laroche with a force that sent the Bane wolf smashing into the bookshelf. Ren landed on his feet and whipped around to face his savior. A pure white wolf stood there growling at Emile. Ren knew it wasn't Calla because he had been keeping his eye on her the whole time, never once not knowing where she was. The second reason was that this wolf smelled differently. Ren knew it was a she. She had a soft scent of plum and freesia and some type of melon although he couldn't decipher what kind. It all blended together in an intoxicating scent._

_Emile limped up, obviously severely hurt from the impact. Mr. Tor charged him and the two alphas fought ferociously. Both were growling and snarling and snapping their jaws at each other's necks. Emile took some direct hits to his stomach and legs. His back hind leg was splintered. Ren was amazed Emile was still going, but unfortunately, the Bane alpha had always been a fighter. Finally, Mr. Tor got the upper hand. He smashed the elder Laroche into the bookshelf once more, and not giving him a chance to get up, leapt over to him, and bit Emile in the neck, instantly killing him. When Mr. Tor lifted his muzzle, he was glowering with pride._

Well done, Father _Calla's voice praised, resonating through everyone. Ren's thoughts shifted from his dead adoptive father to the mysterious white wolf. He turned to face her. She stood on guard, looking magnificent and very, very deadly._

_He unconsciously took a step forward, knowing that everyone in the room was watching him and the newcomer. The wolf snapped her jaws and bared her teeth. Ren stopped instantly, lowering his head to show his intentions weren't to fight. The wolf let out a low growl before backing up._

Don't follow me _her voice warned through his head, and from the way all the wolves in the room tensed, it was obvious she had spoken to them, too. She kept her unwavering gaze on Ren as she continued to move back towards the door._

"_You dare interfere?" Lumine snarled. The white wolf broke off her eye contact with Ren and stared at Lumine. With a snarl that made Ren raise his hackles, the wolf slowly approached Lumine. Lumine's eyes widened only slightly as the mystery wolf came nearer._

_Another growl erupted from the strangers throat, but Ren could just see the smile that would be on her face, one he very much wanted to see._

"_You wouldn't dare hurt your master," Lumine said smoothly, although Ren could hear the slight fear that tinged her voice._

You're not my master anymore _the white wolf said. With that, she lunged toward Lumine's throat; Lumine was surprised but not enough to where she couldn't dodge out of the way just in the nick of time. _

_Whipping around, the white wolf stood her ground as she watched Lumine and her wraith bodyguards exit the room with the Keeper at a dead run. Shay was heading towards the door but Connor stopped him._

"_Our fight is here," Connor said. Shay turned to the white wolf that had started leaving the room._

"_Wait!" Shay called. The white wolf halted as Calla, Mr. Tor, Sabine, Ethan, Bryn, Connor, and Adne backed up Shay. Ren remained standing in front of him._

What do you want, Scion? _The wolf asked._

"_Who are you?"_

I'm a Guardian on your side _the wolf said. As she started to leave, Ren bounded up to her. She turned around with an unnatural amount of speed, knocking Ren to the ground with a surprising amount of force. She pinned him to the ground, baring her startling white teeth. Ren made no attempt to escape. Calla, Shay (who had shifted into wolf form), Mr. Tor, Sabine and Bryn barked ferociously as they advanced on the white wolf while Connor, Ethan, and Adne advanced with their weapons ready._

I'm not going to hurt him _the white wolf snapped calmly. The wolves stopped advancing but they didn't stop glowering at her, giving a clear message not to hurt him._

_Making sure he only sent his thought to the white wolf, who he noticed had hazel eyes, Ren said _Thank you.

_She slowly stopped baring her teeth and stared at Ren, as if seeing him for the first time._

You're welcome, Renier Laroche.

_Without saying anymore, she backed off of him and walked out of the door, leaving everyone speechless._

* * *

Ren opened his eyes, revealing the valley beneath him.

His gaze shifted to silvery moon as he lay on a cliff in the Rocky Mountains. He had left Vail just about a week ago. Calla had chosen Shay, just like he knew she would. But that wasn't what was on his mind. It was the mysterious white wolf that had saved his life. The scene played over and over in his head every time he closed his eyes. Calla had told him not to track her down, that she obviously didn't want to be followed, but he didn't care. The mystery wolf had saved his life. He wanted to meet her in human form face to face to find out why. Why did she come? Why did she come right at the moment Ren was about to die? Why didn't she just let Emile kill him when she didn't even know Ren?

Another question nagging at him was _how_. How had she known he was going to over-jump and give Emile a chance to kill him? How had she known what time to come? He had never met her before in his life. He would've remembered that scent if he had. It was unforgettable… just like her.

Ren forced all thoughts of that night out of his mind. For the first time in days, he felt relaxed and not worried that any of his old pack mates would come looking for him. He was far away from them.

Instead, he stared out at the open field before him. The moon was bathing everything in a white light, making the world seem surreal, as if it were a place out of a fairytale.

There was a slight breeze going downwind. Ren could smell the fresh ponderosas along with some wild animals that were of no threat to him. He could hear the trembling aspens with their fluttering leaves. He observed a herd of deer, watching them until they disappeared in the forest that surrounded the field they had been trekking through.

It wasn't until a familiar scent hit him that he raised his head. Looking up the cliff, he made out a pair of eyes staring at him. They weren't showing any aggression, nor were they showing friendliness. It was more of a curious look with a hint of wariness.

However, he didn't care that they were merely curious and wary about him. He stood up and started trotting towards the wolf. He had to get to them. When the wolf started to run away, Ren put on a burst of speed and chased after them. The wolf was fast, but Ren had so much adrenaline coursing through his veins that it didn't matter. They weaved in and out of the trees, leaping gracefully over fallen logs, rocks, and at one point a small stream. They ended up in the open field before diving into a forest again. Here, Ren gained the upper hand when the other wolf stumbled over a small rock. Ren crashed into them before pinning the stranger to the ground. The wolf snarled menacingly at him, but he didn't care. He had finally caught them. Bright eyes stared at Ren. White teeth were bared as they tried to kick him off, but it was to no avail.

Ren made sure he was looking directly into her hazel eyes when he asked: _Why did you save me?_

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**Okey doke, there's the chapter! I hope y'all enjoyed it! Review!**


	2. Peach Rose

**Hey y'all! Hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter! Anyways, here's the new one. Enjoy!**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**I've never had a tail before. I can't figure out what exactly it's supposed to do. It's so distracting."  
****~Shay Doran in **_**Nightshade**_

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Chapter 2: Peach Rose

The white wolf slowly stopped baring her teeth and growling, much to Ren's relief. Although he didn't doubt his ability to win out over her in a fight, he didn't want the situation to come to that point.

She had changed into her human form by now, although when was a good question. Ren had been too focused on staring her down to notice any change she made, including transforming from wolf to human. He also realized that he had transformed into his human form as well, making him vaguely wonder who had changed first: him or her.

"Renier Laroche?" She whispered. He had her arms pinned down, holding her by the elbows so she was practically immobile. Her blonde hair fanned out across the dirt, a peach colored rose wedged behind her right ear. Her bright hazel eyes never looked away from his.

"Who are you? Where did you come from? How did you know when to save me? _Why_ did you save me?" Ren fired the questions rapidly. The girl merely smirked at him. Her breath smelled like cinnamon, he observed.

"It would be a lot more inclined to answer you," she remarked casually, "if the position we are currently in didn't feel so awkward."

Ren flushed when he discovered how far down on her he was sitting. His cheeks flamed for some reason. Perhaps it was because he barely knew this girl. If it had been Calla, he would've felt nothing wrong about the position they were in, but with this girl…

"Do you promise me you won't bolt away from me?" Ren inquired seriously. She promised. He hastily got off of her and helped her sit up. She pulled her legs up to her chest and interlocked her hands around them, resting her head on her knees. Renier simply sat on the back of his legs.

"So which question do you want me to answer first?" She asked softly.

"Who are you?"

"Arya Lightwood."

"Where did you come from?"

"I was born here in Estes."

"How did you know to save me?"

Arya hesitated. "I was on orders…"

"Orders from whom?" Ren questioned.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Arya mumbled, looking up at the stars.

"Try me," Ren said. He knew alphas didn't like to be challenged, no matter what type of information they held.

Arya snapped her eyes back to hold gazes with Ren; they showed the small amount of anger she had at being challenged. "You're challenging me on my own turf? Not a wise idea."

"I know it's not, but I want to know who gave you those orders. I've seen the Lyulfs, I found out I had a sister, I witnessed the girl I loved become engaged to someone else. Not much else can shock me."

"Fine… It was Cian." Ren wished he could recant his statement about how not much else could shock him. "Is that shocking to you?"

"Why would Cian care about me? She hates our kind."

"I'm not sure, but she said it was vital to the survival of our species that you live. She said 'although we were '_created in violation of natural laws'_'-"

"So she was pretty much calling us abominations," Ren simplified. What Cian had told Arya strongly reminded him of Silas giving him the history of Guardians and Searchers and Keepers. The thought of the Scribe brought a hidden smile to Ren's face. Silas had been a nutjob but for some reason, you couldn't help but like the guy, even if you did want to slap him upside the head half the time you were talking to him.

"Pretty much. Anyways, she said that even though we were abominations, we were still vital to this world and keeping its natural order or something. For some reason, you being alive right now is part of the reason we are able to maintain being able to shift forms."

"Me? Why me?"

"If I knew that, I would tell you, but I don't," Arya snapped lightly.

"I know you would. So would mind if I asked why you followed Cian's orders?" Ren shifted positions so that he was sitting Indian-style, leaning back on his arms. Arya, however, remained in the same position.

"I might not like that she called me an abomination to my face and I do not like the fact that she would rather our kind not exist at all but she is an ancient one who said if you were saved, we would still be able to shift forms but we wouldn't be able to create any more of our kind by the unconventional way-"

"Meaning if we bit someone and said the incantation, the only thing that would happen to that person is they would get an ugly scar from us?"

"Yes… and no. Yes in the sense that the incantation wouldn't work; we can't change someone who isn't a Guardian naturally into a Guardian. You now have to be born one. And no matter what, the wolf gene is dominant. It used to be that if the father was a human and the mother was a Guardian, the child would be a Guardian too, but it would be human if the father was a wolf and the mother was a human. However, our blood still has healing properties, so that person wouldn't have an ugly scar."

Ren's mind was whirling.

"I know. It's a lot to take in," Arya said gently as if she could read his mind. He really hoped she couldn't.

"I just don't see how I'm the one that is the cause for all of this…"

Arya stayed silent.

Deciding to change the subject, Ren asked, "So who is your alpha male?"

"We don't have one," Arya replied simply.

"You don't have one?" Ren was astonished but he tried to keep his shock out of his voice. "How big is your pack?"

"There are nineteen of us, not including me."

"Nineteen?" This time Ren couldn't keep the incredulousness out of tone.

Arya smirked. "Yes."

"And you are the only alpha running the pack?"

"Correct."

"That's impressive," Ren complimented.

"Thank you. You're lucky I'm the one that found you."

"Why's that?" Ren inquired curiously.

"If it had been anyone else in my pack, they would've ripped you to shreds and asked questions later. That almost happened but I changed patrol areas with my second and that's the reason I found you and not him."

"If he had found me?"

"He is the most powerful wolf in our pack. You would've been turned into puppy chow but you can hardly call him a puppy. It's just we've had some bad experiences with past Guardians… we don't trust many of them. Actually, my whole pack was against me going to save you, even though Cian had practically ordered it. I snuck out of my house to do it."

"You snuck out of your house to save someone you didn't even know? Either you're the bravest person I've met or the most foolish. Where do you live?"

"I believe it was a mixture of both. Anyways, I live up on a mountain that gives the most stunning view of the Twin Owls. It's a very private area; only my pack and I live there. We live about ten minutes away from the town. The Searchers were really kind to us and built us an underground driveway. It's really cool… would you mind if I asked you something?"

"You saved my life. I can at least answer your questions so go ahead."

"Do you have a place to stay?" Arya asked, somewhat shyly.

"I booked a room at the Stanley Hotel. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be staying there," Ren admitted. "I don't know how much money was on the Keepers' credit card."

"I can give you two choices: one, you can stay at the Stanley indefinitely for free, or two, I have a spare room in my house at the Lightwood Compound."

"You can give me a free room at the Stanley for an indefinite amount of time?" Ren whistled. "Are you going to blackmail the boss or something?"

"I'm not going to blackmail myself; that's just silly," Arya replied with small laugh.

"You _own_ the Stanley Hotel?" Ren queried.

"Yeah… The Stanley is nice but you would probably be more comfortable at the Compound. For one, Walter and Mia are amazing cooks."

"Are Walter and Mia part of your pack or are they hired?"

"They're part of the pack."

"Who all is in your pack?"

"It's a long list: Shiloh McKay, Carrie Shaw, Ray Flinn, Austin Garder, Nancy Holt, Irene Descartes, Taki Saikou, Erin Cole, Frank West, Walter Mendel, Mia Perry, Rigg LeVox, Derek Hill, Leyla Winston, Katrina Scott, Amy Buckler, Melinda Gates, Dmitri Ferguson, and Michael Jackson."

"Michael Jackson?" Ren couldn't help but laugh.

"He had awesome parents," Arya told him with a shrug, a smile on her lips.

"Pardon me for asking this because I don't want it to come across the wrong way but is he white or black?"

"Both. His mom is white, dad is black."

Inexplicably, Ren laughed. A few moments later, Arya joined in. Her laugh was sweet-sounding; it inexplicably made his stomach do flip-flops.

"Listen, I know I gave you two choices but I'd feel better if you stayed at our compound," Arya said rather sheepishly.

"Why?" Ren grinned. "Don't want to lose a handsome devil like me?"

"You wish that was the reason," Arya retorted, but she was smiling. In a more solemn tone, she added, "No, it's just I know how lonely it can be without a pack."

At that, Ren looked down. For a brief moment, he had forgotten he was alone. Now reality surged up into his mind and it took all of his willpower to not howl at the moon in frustration and sadness.

"What do you say?" Arya inquired. She was somehow standing above him; he hadn't even heard her get up. He looked up at her, blue eyes meeting hazel, although the current lighting made them look green. The moon gave her hair a silvery halo. She was absolutely beautiful.

Her hand was outstretched. Slowly, Ren took it and she helped him up gently. Arya was tall, much taller than he had anticipated, but then again, he was used to short girls because the girls at his high school had, for some unexplainable reason, been unusually short. Arya's eyes were level with his chin whereas Calla's had been at shoulder level.

Ren noticed, although she was dressed simply, wearing white short shorts and a dark blue tank top with a sporty-looking black jacket on, she still looked like a million bucks and he would totally date her.

He really had to get a grip on himself… he couldn't be thinking about dating her. He wasn't going to be staying at the Lightwood Compound long enough for their relationship to turn serious anyways.

"Come on; I'll brief you on everyone so you'll know who to watch out for," Arya said as she started to walk off. "It would be best if we walked as humans. It will give me more time to tell you about everyone."

Ren followed, falling in step with her.

"So, who's your second?"

"Shiloh McKay. He looks like Josh Hutcherson with black hair if you want an image of him."

"Who is Josh Hutcherson?" Ren asked in confusion.

"He was Peeta Mellark in the _Hunger Games_," Arya explained, stepping over a fallen log.

"Oh, okay, I know who you're talking about. I have an idea because I'm horrible with remembering what people look like. How about you tell me what celebrity they resemble. Cheesy but I think it will work."

"Ooh, I like a challenge. All right. Here goes. So we already established that Shiloh looked like Josh Hutcherson…"

And Arya started explaining everyone. Carrie looked like Ellen Page, Ray like Matthew Lewis, Austin like Liam Payne, Nancy like Alexandra Daddario, Irene like Lacey Chambert, Taki like Brenda Song, Erin like Jennifer Lawrence, Frank like Brandon T. Jackson, Walter like Garret Hedlund, Mia like Shenae Grimes, Rigg like Liam Hemsworth, Derek like Channing Tatum, Leyla like Megan Fox, Katrina like Lily Collins, Amy like Jane Levy, Melinda like Brittany Snow, Dmitri like Chris Hemsworth, and Michael like a younger version of LL Cool J.

Ren was rather excited that one of the girls resembled Megan Fox; he had always thought she was good looking; however, he had never quite got the massive infatuation guys had with her. Maybe it was because he preferred blondes.

Arya explained that Rigg and Dmitri were often mistaken for being brothers even though they had no relationship with each other whatsoever but the two of them did act like brothers.

"So just a few questions: who are Matthew Lewis, Alexandra Daddario, and Garret Hedlund?" Ren questioned as he helped Arya up a steep embankment. He couldn't help but notice how warm and soft her hand was in his.

"Matthew Lewis was Neville in _Harry Potter_; Alexandra Daddario was in _Percy Jackson_ and she played Annabeth. She was also in _White Collar_. Garret Hedlund was Murtagh in _Eragon_."

"So who all do I need to watch out for?"

"Dmitri and Rigg might cause some problems in the beginning. Leyla and Katrina will either be really bitchy to you- excuse my French- or they'll ignore you completely. The one you should probably avoid is Shiloh," Arya warned.

"I figured," Renier muttered. "Does he hate every new person that comes to the compound?"

"Only if you're a boy," Arya answered with a smirk.

"Why?"

Arya was hesitant before quietly explaining. "I'm pretty sure he likes me. In fact, I know he does; the thing is the feelings go only one way."

"You don't like him like that, do you?"

"No, and he can't get that through his head. Fortunately, I think he has a crush on Carrie, too, so I'm hoping he'll follow that path."

They elapsed into silence as they started walking up a hill. There were lights at the top of it; Ren guessed they were almost at the compound.

He was right. "We're almost there. I'm going to tell the pack to gather outside around the fountain."

Ren wasn't sure what surprised him more. The fact that she had a fountain outside or that instead of pulling out a cell phone, Arya shifted forms and let out a long, low howl. She was responded to with a chorus of replies from the top of the hill. Ren had to admit the sound of Arya's pack's howling was intimidating; but he was an alpha, and he wasn't going to show that he was intimidated. She shifted back to human form.

"They're waiting for us. Are you ready?"

Ren nodded.

"Good. Walk on my right, just a little bit behind me," Arya ordered. Ren did as he was told and together, they walked up the hill.

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**Okey doke, there's the chapter! I hope y'all enjoyed! Please review!**


	3. Yellow Rose

**Hey y'all! Wow this took a really short time to update haha I think this might be a new record for me for updating a story. Anyways, I'll let you read.**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**Calla: Did you just call me an abomination?  
****Silas: Yes. Yes I did."  
****~Calla Tor and Silas the Scribe**

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Chapter 3: Yellow Rose

The embankment was steep and it took a few minutes for Ren and Arya to climb it. At one point Arya lost her footing when a rock came loose underneath her foot and it was only thanks to Ren that she didn't tumble down the mountain.

"Thanks," She said, breathing heavily.

"You're welcome."

They continued walking up the slope; now Ren could see the silhouettes of Arya's pack. They were downwind so Ren could smell them. The first scent that hit him smelled strongly of smoke, like a campfire. It wasn't unpleasant but it was different. Another scent that Ren noticed was lavender. The rest of the scents blended together and Ren wasn't able to decipher the specific scents, although he could've sworn there was something that smelled like maple syrup, but he couldn't be sure.

"Shiloh is there, at the very top. He's the smoky smelling one," Arya whispered.

"He's the one I really need to watch out for, right?" Ren asked. Arya nodded. He heard the soft whispers of the pack but nothing that he could understand.

"Hello, everyone," Arya greeted cheerfully; the guy that Ren assumed was Shiloh, since he was sort of stocky with a square-ish face and black hair, instantly changed into a wolf, growling at him.

"Shiloh," Arya snapped.

Shiloh shifted forms and if looks could kill, Ren would be dead ten times over. He walked up to Arya; he was at least a head taller but she acted as if she were the same height.

The pack was shifting nervously, Ren noticed. He couldn't blame them. A girl that looked like Brittany Snow, a smaller version, caught Ren's eye and after giving him a small smile, she turned her eyes back to Shiloh. She must've been Melinda.

"Who is this?" Shiloh demanded.

Still looking at her second dead in the eye, Arya announced, "This is Renier Laroche."

There was a gasp from the pack; Shiloh paled just enough for Ren to notice.

"Does everyone know who I am?" Ren inquired nonchalantly.

"Yeah," Arya replied somewhat sheepishly.

"I've never been famous," Ren said to no one in particular.

"It's more like infamous," Shiloh growled.

"Do you have a problem with me that I don't know about?" Ren inquired, meeting Shiloh's eyes without wavering.

"Yeah, I do. You being on our property, and you're the reason Arya went off without telling any of us to save your sorry alpha butt from being killed."

"Shiloh!" Arya admonished. "That's _enough_."

"Arya, if I'm going to cause problems staying here-" Ren began.

"You _invited _him to stay here?!" Shiloh barked.

"Yes I did," Arya retorted. Turning to Ren, she said, "Ren, you're absolutely welcome to stay here. You'll stay in the guest room in my house, if that's all right with you."

"I'm fine with it. I don't think Shiloh is," Ren said. Shiloh lunged for him but Arya held him back easily.

"Stop this silliness!" Arya ordered, shoving him back with a surprising amount of force. He looked surprised at the fierceness she had just shown.

A girl stepped forward from the crowd. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and smelled like strawberries. Her stature was small but Ren could see that she was toned and muscled. Her looks were deceptive. She stepped up to Ren and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Carrie Shaw. Welcome to the Lightwood Compound."

"Nice to meet you," Ren replied, shaking her hand. Arya let a small sigh. He guessed she must've been worried about Carrie's reception of him as well but hadn't mentioned it to him.

Carrie's greeting eased everyone else up and soon Ren was surrounded by the pack, being introduced to everyone. The next person to introduce themselves was Melinda, the girl that had smiled at him earlier. She smelled like apples on; it was quite pleasant. Next were Rigg and Dmitri. Both of them acted high and mighty around Ren but he dismissed it. He was an alpha and they would figure that out soon enough. Rigg smelled like a woodshop while Dmitri smelled like a new car strangely enough. Ren could see the resemblance between the two of them with their blue eyes and blonde/brown hair. They were about the same height, too. Ray was next. Tall, lean, blue eyes, and black hair, he looked intimidating but in actuality, he was the nicest of anyone Ren would meet that night. He smelled like a freshly cut lawn. Leyla came next. She really did look like Megan Fox with her black hair and tiny stature. She smelled like a mixture of berries. It was an interesting smell to say the least; Leyla merely gave a slight nod to Ren before walking off. Katrina came next. She was one of two red-heads. She was polite but not very personable, even seemed a little snobby. Her scent was strangely that of maple syrup. So he had smelled maple syrup coming up the hill…

Michael came next and took all of Ren's will power to not crack up laughing. The guy even dressed similar to Michael Jackson. He seemed wary of Ren, but nice overall. He smelled like Old Spice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arya smiling slightly. Perhaps she was remembering their conversation earlier…

Next was Derek, and Arya had hit his celeb look-a-like spot on. He was tall, muscular, just a little bit taller than Ren, and had green eyes. This was someone Ren would most definitely not want to piss off. However, Derek seemed pretty chill, which his scent of the ocean complemented well. Next was Amy and Ren could tell she was trying to contain herself in not being a complete bitch to him. Her scent was strangely coconutty…

Mia and Walter came up together. They seemed nice enough and they shook his hand firmly. Mia smelled like sugar cookies while Walter smelled like coffee. Ren remembered Arya saying it was those two that were the cooks and he found it ironic that they smelled like food.

Irene, who smelled like a cotton blossom, was relatively shy but shook Ren's hand. Frank came over, smelling like he had been in a bar all day, seemed wary but Ren was okay with that; he understood. Erin and Taki came as a pair; Erin was a pretty blonde with blue eyes while Taki was a beautiful Asian girl with long dark hair. Erin smelled like lemons, Taki like rain. Finally, Nancy and Austin greeted him politely. Austin smelled like bacon (which made Ren's stomach growl because he realized he was starving) and Nancy smelled like honey.

Everyone started to head to their houses; Ren noticed there were twelve.

"Does some of the pack live in a house by themselves?" Ren inquired as he followed Arya to her house which was situated in the center of all of them.

"No, the two extra houses are for when my parents and their pack come and stay with us," Arya explained. They walked up two steps and entered her house. The smell of freshly baked brownies reached his nose; involuntarily, his mouth watered as he sniffed the air.

"Are you hungry? I can whip you up a quick meal if you want," Arya offered.

"I don't want to cause any more trouble than I already have," Ren protested.

"I can make you a chicken sandwich or a grilled cheese. I need to stop by the store and grab some more food. I also have brownies."

"Whatever's easiest," Ren said. Arya led him to the kitchen which was spacious and cozy. There was a big window that overlooked the courtyard and the fountain. It was a really pretty view. She had a small round table in front of the window with yellow roses in a crystal vase. Arya was at the island in the kitchen. It was where the stove was. Ren figured she was making grilled cheese. He leaned up against the bar attached to the island and watched as Arya started making his meal.

"Thank you for everything," he said. Arya looked up at him.

"It's no problem. It's nice to have a new face around here," Arya told him with a shrug. "We don't get many visitors. I wish we did but while the people in town like us, they are still scared of us so very rarely, meaning never, do they come up here. I mean, I get why they are but unless they anger us, we won't do anything to them. Would you like anything to drink? I have water, milk, chocolate milk, orange juice, cranberry juice, lemonade, and some soda."

Ren immediately went for the orange juice. He loved the stuff. Arya finished making his sandwich and handed it to him on a plate. She then started making another one.

When she finished hers, she sat down at the table with Ren.

"Sorry about Shiloh. I knew he wasn't going to react well but to actually lunge at you…" Arya trailed off.

"It's fine. Besides, you handled him quite nicely."

Arya blushed slightly. "I don't like being like that to my pack mates but sometimes I have to."

"I know the feeling. You hate to reprimand them sometimes but you know you have to."

"Precisely." Arya finished off her sandwich and reached over to fix a rose in the vase. Ren didn't see anything wrong with it but apparently she did. Seeing where he was looking, Arya said sheepishly, "I'm OCD about a few things. Flower arranging is one of them."

Ren grinned. "So you like flowers?"

"Yeah. I love them, particularly roses. I like how they all have different meanings."

"What do you mean?" Ren inquired, sincerely interested.

"Well, for example, a yellow rose can mean many things such as joy, jealousy, welcome back, or friendship."

"What does that colored rose mean?" Ren nodded towards the peach rose in her hair.

"It can mean gratitude, sincerity, appreciation, let's get together, and let's close the deal or something like that."

"I never knew that; that's actually really interesting."

"My old Keeper hated flowers, or at least actual ones because she had allergies. Therefore I purposefully always kept flowers in my room so wouldn't come in my room and learned as much as I could about them so I would keep them for a long time."

"You, my friend, are brilliant," Ren praised. Arya grinned.

"I have my moments. Are you done?" She asked, pointing to his plate.

"Yeah." She was about to take it but he snatched it away before she could. He also swiped up hers. When she looked at him like he was crazy, he told her, "You made the meal. The least I can do is take them to the sink and wash them."

"I hardly call a grilled cheese sandwich a meal and you're the guest so hand them over," She commanded, standing up and motioning with her hand to hand the plates over. Ren just smirked and walked over to the sink.

"Alphas are so annoying sometimes," Arya muttered.

"You know you just dissed yourself, right?" Ren pointed out with a laugh.

"Then let me correct myself: Alpha _males_ are so annoying."

"But you know you love us," Ren teased.

"Maybe human girls do… Here, have a brownie." She tossed a big hunk of a brownie to Ren who deftly caught it. He couldn't help but think Arya was very random, going from alpha males to brownies.

"This," Ren said between bites, "is delicious."

"Why thank you. I made them from scratch."

"Really?"

"No. It's Duncan Hines box recipe. Come on, I'll show you your room." Taking another bite of his brownie, Ren followed Arya up the stairs to a long hallway. There were four doors on each side.

"The four rooms on this side are all occupied," Arya explained, pointing to the left side of the hallway. "The one at the very end is my room. All these rooms on the right are guest rooms. Take whichever one you want."

"Any of them? What's the difference?"

"Different themes," Arya said, eating the last piece of her brownie. Ren opened the first room. It was very flowery and not at all what Ren would want to stay in. As if reading his thoughts, Arya said, "That one tends to be more for the girls."

"I noticed," Ren answered with a chuckle. The second bedroom was dark blue themed with white accents. It was cozy and modern at the same time. The third room was yellow and white, another girls room, Ren thought. The last room amused Ren. It had pictures of wolves in the forest and just things that went with wolves in general. The bedspread was dark green and Ren decided instantly this was the room he wanted.

"I'll take this one," He said.

"All right; pajamas are in the second drawer of the dresser. You have your own bathroom, balcony, and flat screen TV. Anything I can get you?"

"No, I think I just found my heaven," Ren admitted. Arya smiled.

"Okay. See you in the morning. Breakfast is usually at nine but Mia or Walter will come and get you to let you know," Arya informed.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Good night."

"Good night." Ren entered his room and shut the door, glad to be alone (although he had thoroughly enjoyed Arya's company). He headed over to the dresser and pulled out pajamas he thought would fit him. Boy was he wrong. The first pair of pants were so tight he couldn't even get them over his calves. He tried on another pair and although he was able to get them on completely, they were so tight he walked like a constipated penguin. The shirt was so tight that it actually ripped in the back. In fact, none of the shirts fit him. Deciding he couldn't do this, he went to Arya's room in the too-tight pants and the ripped shirt. He knocked twice and waited patiently for her to open the door. When she did, her mouth dropped open, but she hurriedly put her hand over her mouth.

"I think," Ren began, "that I need a different size. What do you think?"

Arya began to laugh. "I'm sorry for laughing but it's so… so…"

"So horrible that it's amusing?"

Arya grinned bashfully. "Let me go ask Derek for some pajamas for you. You two are about the same size. I'll bring them to your room."

Arya walked past him and down the stairs hurriedly. Ren went back to his room and sat on the bed, taking off the shirt at least. Arya's house was cool but not uncomfortably. It was just the right temperature.

He waited only a few minutes for Arya to arrive with his new pajamas. He opened the door shirtless which he noticed caught her by surprise; however, she quickly regained her composure. "Here. These should fit."

"Are you sure you want me to put a shirt on? I thought you enjoyed the view when you first saw me," Ren said with a droll stare.

"Shut up," Arya told him, making a face at him. She did blush slightly though.

"Thank you. I think these will do."

"You're welcome. If you need anything else, let me know. You know where I am," Arya said. The two of them said good night once again and this time, they meant it. Ren pulled on the pajamas (which fit him perfectly) and stumbled into bed. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was.

When he closed his eyes, he fell asleep almost immediately, knowing Calla was going to be haunting his dreams.

But that didn't happen.

Instead, Arya frolicked around in the woods, changing from wolf to human and human to wolf. And each time she changed to a wolf, her coat would change colors.

* * *

**And there you go! Let's see if I can get at least three reviews. I won't update until I have three so no review=no update people! Hope y'all enjoyed**


	4. Call Down the Storm Rose

**Hey y'all! Thank you for the reviews! I won't keep you waiting! Here's the next chapter :)**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**I've got a bottle full of hydrochloric acid in my hand, Ren. Don't piss me off."  
****~Calla Tor**

* * *

Chapter 4: Call Down the Storm Rose

**Ren**

Ren woke up to the smell of bacon… lots of it. He wasn't sure if his stomach growled or if he growled, but either way, he rolled out of bed and padded to his bathroom. It was really clean. The bathroom was tastefully decorated. The toothbrush holder, two soap holders (bar and liquid), and the trash can were clear with silver vines twining around them. The walls were painted a pale, cheerful green. Ren splashed water on his face to make him more alert. He was going to have to be on the top of his game if he was going to have to face Shiloh again. The guy had serious issues.

He ran a hand through his hair as he left his room, promptly bumping into one of the pack mates; it was Derek.

"Hey, dude, glad the jams fit," Derek said. "You smelled the bacon didn't you?"

"How'd you know?" Ren inquired, grinning slightly.

"Mia has this ability to make the smell of bacon spread a ten mile radius, and that's no joke. Literally, I was on patrol with Michael and we were ten miles away and we smelled it. We give poor Mia hell about it," Derek explained with a lopsided smile. Ren gave a small laugh.

At that moment, Arya opened her door, wearing a tank top, sweatpants, and her hair was thrown up into a ponytail. She was rubbing her eyes as if she had just gotten up.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Derek greeted cheerfully.

"Being that cheerful in the morning isn't normal," Arya muttered.

"We're not normal, babe," Derek replied.

"I wish Mia didn't cook such amazing bacon because I would love to sleep in one day," Arya said. She turned to Ren and smiled. "Morning, Ren."

"Good morning, Arya."

The three of them walked downstairs and out the door where a long picnic table had suddenly appeared. It hadn't been there last night.

Ren looked for Shiloh and found him chatting with Carrie. His head jerked up when Arya came out. Ren was pretty sure it was because his scent carried over to where Shiloh was sitting.

He strutted over to the threesome. Arya stood in front of Ren and Derek, tall and proud.

"Morning, Arya," Shiloh said, kissing her on the cheek. Ren knew that was specifically for his benefit, and truthfully, it pissed him off. He held back the growl struggling to come out of his throat.

"Morning, Shiloh. Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept really well actually. And you?"

"Surprisingly, not bad," Arya replied, as if she truly were shocked.

"Let's eat." He took her hand and led her to the picnic table. Ren and Derek followed. Arya turned her head around to face Ren; she gave him a slight wink and an eye roll before turning forwards again. He held back a laugh. Arya sat in the middle of the table. Ren took the seat or her left while Shiloh sat on her right. Rigg and Dmitri sat across the table and they gave Ren mischievous smiles, which didn't settle well with him. Mia, Walter, Melinda, Ray, and Katrina came out with platters of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and yes! Bacon!

"Dig in!" Mia shouted. And dig in everyone did. There were five platters of bacon; the bacon itself was heaped into a pile about a foot high. There weren't much eggs but barely anyone seemed to want some anyways. There were five platters of pancakes, which were piled about half a foot, and the sausage was stacked as high as the pancakes. Ren took one of everything, even the eggs. Every single thing was delicious.

"You like it?" Arya asked, nudging him.

"I've never had anything as good as this before in my life," Ren admitted.

"Told you they could cook," Arya said with a wink.

"I never doubted you," Ren protested.

"Never said you didn't."

"So, Ren, how long are planning on staying?" Rigg questioned, shoveling sausage into his mouth.

"Rigg," Arya hissed.

However, Ren answered, "I'm deciding between three times."

"What's time one?" Dmitri prodded.

"The first one is I figure out where I want to go on from here," Ren said.

"Second time?"

"The second is Arya kicks me out."

"And the third time?"

With the most serious face he could muster, Ren replied, "The third time is Shiloh kills me before the first or second time happens."

Rigg, who had been taking a swig of some coffee, started to laugh and choked on the drink. Dmitri was hitting Rigg on the back, cracking up.

"You just earned my respect, alpha," Dmitri claimed as Rigg managed to control his coughing fit.

"What he said," Rigg agreed.

"You're not wrong there, Renier," Shiloh said quietly with a slight smile. This guy knew how to aggravate Ren in a way that it wasn't even remotely funny. Ren hated being called Renier.

"Why do you think I said it, Shi?" Ren countered. Shiloh's face fell into a hard expression as he stared at him. Ren returned his glare unwaveringly.

"So, Ren," Leyla said, interrupting the masculine stare-down, "have you always been this gorgeous or did you just suddenly go through puberty?"

Ren gave her a cocky smirk. "Well, just so you know, I've always been this stunningly attractive, but you sure didn't act like you thought that last night. In fact," Ren said, pretending to look offended, "you snubbed me."

Leyla looked embarrassed. "It was late at night and I wasn't in the mood to meet anyone."

"Sure. Or maybe you didn't speak for fear you would drool from my handsomeness."

"You're very full of yourself," Leyla pointed out.

"I'm just repeating the words girls have used to describe me," Ren bantered.

"You're all right, Ren," Leyla approved.

"Hey, Ren," Arya said. He turned to look at her. "Do you need clothes?"

He hadn't actually thought about that and realized he did. "Yeah, I do."

"You can borrow some more of mine," Derek offered. "until we get you your own."

"Thanks Derek," Ren replied.

"Do want to go shopping or do you want us to get your own clothes?" Arya inquired, finishing off her last piece of bacon. It was a conflicting thought because he wanted his own clothes, yet he didn't want any of Arya's pack running into Calla's pack, and he would love to get new clothes, but he didn't want Arya to buy him such a big expense.

As if reading his mind, Arya added, "I have an unlimited credit card thanks to the Searchers if you're worried about using our money."

"I know but I still feel bad using it. And I don't want any of your pack to get my stuff because I don't want them running into my old pack. It wouldn't settle well with them to see you stealing my stuff," Ren answered.

"Let us do it," Rigg suggested, motioning at himself and Dmitri.

"No, seriously. You don't want to meet them," Ren declared.

"We won't. As you said, we're going to _steal_ it and people don't usually see someone when they steal stuff," Dmitri argued sarcastically.

"We're going to do it; where did you live?" Rigg demanded. Reluctantly, Ren gave them his address. The two of them, with Derek who had decided to tag along, gobbled down the rest of their breakfast before heading off to go get Ren's clothes.

"Tell me I didn't do the wrong thing, allowing them to get my things," Ren whispered to Arya.

She answered, "They would've done it with or without your permission."

He nodded and finished his breakfast. When everyone had finished, they all brought their dishes to the house Mia and Walter lived in and washed their plates. Then they set them aside on the counter so they could be washed in the dishwasher.

"Ren, I'll grab some clothes from Derek's room and then we'll head to Park Meadows Mall. Is that okay?" Arya questioned as they walked into her house together.

"That sounds good to me," Ren agreed. Arya nodded and headed off to the house Derek resided in while Ren went up to his room. He took a shower to wash the dirt out of his hair. It was in the shower that he realized it had been two days since his last shower. No wonder Arya had caught his smell. He probably stunk like a skunk.

He turned off the water and shook his head to get some water out of it. He remembered when he and Calla had once swam in a lake as wolves and when he got out, she changed to being human while he stayed wolf and shook his coat all over her. She hadn't found it amusing but he had started cracking up.

Ren pushed the thought of Calla out of his mind as he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked into his room. A shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of boxers lay neatly folded on his bed. On the shirt was a note from Arya; her handwriting was a mix of cursive and print; it was complex, just like her. The note said: _Here's an outfit. I didn't know if you needed boxers or not so I got some just in case. Let's keep me going through Derek's underwear drawer between us though because, well, no one likes people going through _that_ drawer. I'll be down in the kitchen when you're ready._

Ren couldn't help but smile at the note. He found the boxer thing hilarious. Surprisingly, the whole ensemble fit and was even his taste. He probably would've chosen the same thing. Ren headed downstairs where music was blaring. He didn't listen to much music but he knew what the song was. Everyone had known the song in his high school in Vail.

When he entered the kitchen, Arya was arranging roses in the crystal vase. They were a light pink; Ren wondered what the significance of the color was.

Arya was singing quietly along: "Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world! She took the midnight train going anywhere!"

"Just a city boy! Born and raised south Detroit! He took the midnight train going anywhere!" Ren sang along. She jumped as she turned around to face him.

"Ready?" Arya inquired, turning off the music and grabbing her IPod. Ren nodded and the two of them walked out the door.

"Arya!" a pack member shouted, running up to them with three other people. The pack mate was Austin Garder; Ray Flinn, Erin Cole, and Leyla were behind him.

"Do you mind if we come along?" Ray inquired casually, but even Ren could see they were only coming to protect Arya. It didn't bother him. He was used to it; Calla's pack had done it a lot.

Arya hesitated in answering. "I'm fine with it but I don't know about Ren."

Everyone looked at him. "There's going to be a problem you know."

"What is it?" Erin questioned.

"The girls all look like supermodels. We're going to have guys drooling after them and trailing them like pups," Ren pointed out.

"Nice pun," Ray complimented with a chuckle.

"You think _we _are going to be the problem?" Leyla demanded. We have the unnaturally hot guys with us. We're going to have to beat girls off of you."

"Let's just go," Arya said, smiling. "Who do you want to ride with, Ren?"

"I was thinking we could have some male bonding time," Ray said.

"Listen, Ren, would you mind riding with the boys? We need to talk to Arya about a few things… privately," Leyla said.

"Sure," Ren replied.

"Thanks. Come on. I'm-" Leyla began.

"Not driving," Arya finished. "_I'm_ driving."

"What? Does my driving scare you?" Leyla joked.

"No, it's just you tend to go a hundred around a curve," Arya snapped lightly.

The six headed to the fountain. Ren wasn't sure why. Austin pressed a stone embedded in the fountain and that's when Ren realized he was opening a trap door.

"That's so cool," Ren acknowledged.

"Come on, it's a ladder," Arya said, climbing down.

"After you," Austin said, waving his hand. Ren followed Arya and jumped the last few feet to the ground. Leyla and Erin jumped down next followed by Ray and then Austin.

Ren had to stop his mouth from falling to the floor as he took a sweeping glance around the room… well, _room_ didn't really cut it. It was a massive underground garage. At first, there were normal cars such as some trucks and a few sedans, and then there were sports cars: Lamborghinis, Porsches, Audis, Aston Martins, Mercedes, and Bugattis. Ren whistled.

"We've accumulated a lot of cars since we've been able to drive," Ray informed as the group started walking to the cars.

"I'm taking the Porsche Turbo S," Arya announced.

"Ren, we're taking the Aston. Come on," Ray urged as the girls headed off to a sharp looking blue Porsche.

* * *

**Arya**

When everyone was buckled in the car, Arya demanded softly, "Okay Leyla, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"I was wondering why you _actually_ brought Ren here." Arya drove down the lit tunnel and out into the sunlight with the boys behind her.

"He was alone when I saw him. I didn't intend to bring him here at first but he chased me down."

"What?!" Leyla and Erin exclaimed. So Arya dived into the story about how she and Ren met.

"I knew how he felt, being a lone alpha. I thought he'd have a good time just being around a pack again, even if it wasn't his," Arya admitted.

"And you thought he was hot," Erin added.

"Did not!" Arya protested.

"Did, too. Don't lie to us woman," Leyla snapped jokingly.

"Okay, fine, he is hot. Happy?"

Leyla and Erin laughed as they drove to the mall.

The day turned to be a good one. Ren got eleven new shirts and ten new shorts and a two pairs of jeans. He and Arya went shopping together while Leyla and Austin went off and Erin and Ray ran to somewhere unknown.

The two of them had a ball. Arya had never met someone who could make her laugh so hard. She herself bought a few outfits; a dress, a pair of shorts, a tank top, and a cute sleeveless jacket. Ren demanded to see the dress and the look he had on his face when he saw it was priceless.

"You like?" She asked with a grin.

"I like. Ren like a lot!" He exclaimed.

The two of them met up with the other four and went back to the compound. When Arya and Ren entered her house, Rigg, Dmitri, and Derek were there to greet them.

"Hey, how was shopping?" Rigg inquired, standing up from the couch.

"Good. Did you get Ren's stuff?"

"Yeah, we put it in his room."

"Did you have any trouble?" Ren asked, standing so close to Arya she could feel the heat coming off his body. She could also hear the thudding of his heart. She had the strangest urge to take his hand.

"Um, sort of. One of your old pack mates tried to stop us… we kind of had to knock him out before he alerted the rest of the pack," Dmitri answered sheepishly.

"Do you know who it was?" Ren demanded, suddenly sounding like the alpha he was. Even the three boys looked taken aback.

"I think his name was Ansel… if that name rings a bell," Derek replied. Arya looked up at Ren who had blanched.

"That was… never mind who it was. I don't like that you had to knock him out but I guess you had to. Thanks for getting my stuff. I'm going to go get it all situated." Ren nodded before heading up the stairs.

Arya groaned. "Did you have to knock him out?"

"It just sort of happened," Rigg replied quietly.

Arya rubbed her temple. "All right, thanks you guys."

The three of them left her house while Arya went up the stairs. She realized she still had Ren's new clothes. Although she hated to disturb him after the news, Arya knew he probably wanted his clothes. She went upstairs and was about to answer the door when she overheard Ren speaking on the phone.

"An?" Ren answered. "I'm fine. Are you okay? I heard about you getting knocked out… yeah they were with me… sorry about that… she is?... Is she happy though? With Shay?... I'm glad… I'm not saying… I don't want anyone to find me… No! You can' tell anyone I called!... Yes I'm aware there's a phone number tracing, but now that I know you're going to come search for me I'm leaving this place…"

Arya dropped the bags. Hurriedly she picked up the ones with her outfits and bolted into her room, not wanting to hear anymore of the conversation. She shut her door as quickly and quietly as she could and leaned up against it. She was hoping that Ren didn't know she had overheard his conversation.

* * *

**Ren**

"An?" Ren asked hesitantly.

"Ren! Are you okay? You ran out of Vail like the devil was after you!" Ansel exclaimed.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? I heard about you getting knocked out."

"I'm fine. Were they with you?"

"Yeah, they were with me."

"The tall one that looks like Thor has a hell of a punch."

"Sorry about that," Ren apologized sincerely.

"Listen, Calla's worried sick about you," Ansel told him seriously.

"She is?"

"Yeah. She flipped out when she found out you were gone."

"Is she happy though? With Shay?"

"… Yeah, she's really happy."

"I'm glad."

"So where are you?" Ansel questioned casually. There was some crunching on the other end of the phone and Ren figured An was eating… again. That boy had a bottomless stomach.

"I'm not saying."

"Why?"

"I don't want anyone to find me," Ren said sharply, but Ansel didn't seem fazed.

"Can I tell the pack you called at least?"

"No! You can't tell anyone I called!"

"You do know I can trace this phone call, right?"

Ren groaned. "Yes I'm aware there's a phone number tracing but now that I know you're going to come search for me I'm leaving this place," Ren snapped. He heard the dropping of bags and a light scrambling. Her smell wafted into his room. Plum, freesia, and melon.

Arya.

"Hey, An, I have to go. Take care, all right? And don't tell anyone!" Ren ordered.

"Okay, okay dude. Keep safe yourself and check in with me once in a while alright?"

"Alright." Ren hung up and ran to the door, hoping Arya would still be out there. She wasn't, but his shopping bags were in front of his door. He wondered if Arya heard his conversation.

* * *

**Arya**

A knocking at the door made her jump.

"Arya?"

She immediately knew it was Ren. No one had that deep, sexy, seductive voice in her pack, not even when they were trying to sound like that. He didn't even have to _try_ and sound deep, sexy, and seductive; it was just how he naturally sounded. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and opened the door.

"Hey, Ren," She greeted kindly, trying to hide how disappointed she was that he was leaving already.

"Hey, Arya… um, did you hear that conversation?" Ren inquired curiously.

"I only heard you were leaving. I'm sorry to hear that," Arya admitted.

"Really?" Ren looked genuinely surprised.

"I know we've only known each other barely twenty four hours, but you're pretty fun to hang out with. Why are you leaving anyways?"

"I lied. I'm not leaving. I just didn't want Ansel to come looking for me."

Arya tried to hold back her grin but a smile stretched out across her face. "Why not?"

"I don't want any relations to my old pack right now. Besides, I don't want to leave your pack. I like it… whether they like me is another story," Ren said with a chuckle.

"I'm not sure if you'll believe me but the pack does like you… well, Shiloh doesn't," Arya confessed sheepishly.

"That's a no brainer… were you upset I was leaving?" Ren asked, not able to hold the curiosity out of his eyes.

"As I said before, you're fun to hang out with… and it's nice to have another alpha around because I can relate to you in ways I can't with my pack mates."

"Agreed. So when's supper?" Ren clapped, rubbing his hands.

"My god, you are just like the guys here. All you think about is your stomach." Arya rolled her eyes.

"And girls, don't forget girls," Ren corrected.

"Oh yeah? What girls do you think about?"

Ren didn't answer, he just merely smiled.

* * *

**Okay, super long chapter but that's not the longest. Some future chapters are a hell of a lot longer. Anyways, please review! :)**


	5. Fire Rose

**How is everyone? Thank you to TsukeLavire for reviewing! Now, on with the story!**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**You do realize you just mixed Disney metaphors, right? Disney metaphors. Wow, Calla, now I'm just sad for you."  
****~Shay Doran from **_**Nightshade**_

* * *

Chapter 5: Fire Rose

**Arya**

Dinner was much more enjoyable now that she knew Ren was staying at the compound. Arya wasn't sure why she loved having him around so much. Maybe it was because he seemed to fit in with the pack as if it had always been his. Maybe it was the fact that she could relate so easily to him since he was an alpha. Or maybe, it was because he was the most gorgeous guy Arya had laid eyes on.

"You do _not_ want to hear this joke. It is way too corny," Frank assured.

"Come on," Ren prodded with a grin.

With a defeated sigh, Frank said, "What is the most vulgar character in Hollywood's history?"

"Who?" Melinda inquired.

"R2-D2. They bleeped out every word he ever said," Frank said, putting his elbow on the table and covering his eyes as everyone started laughing.

"Wow, you weren't kidding," Ren acknowledged. "That really is bad. On the bright side, even though it was corny, I found it funny as hell."

"Thanks," Frank mumbled.

"Who's ready for dessert?" Mia shouted over the clamor of everyone talking. There was a loud agreement from everyone at the table and she disappeared into her house. A few seconds later, she came out carrying five apple pies. Arya's stomach, although she had thought she was full, magically emptied at the sight of the pie and at the enticing aroma of it.

"Mia, you outdid yourself," Arya said, eyeing the pies with anticipation.

"Thanks Arya," Mia replied, "but they were really easy to make."

"For you," Amy said with harrumph. "If I tried to make them, I'd burn down the whole town."

Everyone got a piece of pie; all the guys had seconds while the girls refused to eat anymore. Ren tried to force Arya to eat a piece of his because he had unfortunately seen her eyeing it longingly. It had ended up with both of them falling out of their seats, laughing hysterically. Everyone but Shiloh joined in.

"You shouldn't have fought," Ren said with a grin, sitting up and offering his hand for Arya.

"You shouldn't have tried to force me to eat it," Arya countered, taking his hand. Then facing Mia and Walter, she said, "I'll do the dishes tonight."

"Are you sure?" Walter inquired, looking at her. Arya nodded and went to the kitchen. Ren followed her.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Ren questioned, coming to stand next to her. She grabbed a dish and started to rinse it off. Ren started putting dishes in the dishwasher. There were eight dishwashers total. They needed that many since they had so many plates since they had so many mouths to feed.

"Sure," Arya said nonchalantly.

"About Ansel… I'm worried he knows I'm lying about leaving here," Ren admitted. "I don't know what I'll do if he comes here because he's smart and can trace phone calls which he so annoyingly and cheerfully pointed out to me. It wouldn't be hard for him to find me since he's a Guardian too… I guess what I'm asking is can you help me if he does come?"

Arya turned to look at him. "Of course I'll help you. But we should probably have two different plans… and we'll need to talk with the pack about this so they'll know what's going on."

There was a tic in Ren's jaw. "Are you sure they'd be willing to help me out? We might be friendly with each other but that doesn't mean they'd be willing to lie for me."

"They also have no reason to not lie for you. They'll do it, trust me. Shiloh won't be keen on it but he rarely defies orders from me," Arya assured.

"Rarely?"

"It was once. I told him not to go out by himself because there was a trio of cougars that were hunting together. I had never heard of cougars doing that but no Guardian, no matter how strong they are, can take on three cougars. Well, he was out hunting with Derek, Melinda, Leyla, Amy and me. He separated from us and we had no idea. For such a big wolf, he is certainly stealthy. He followed the noise and was ambushed by the cougars. We barely reached him in time. I barreled into the cougar that was about to break his windpipe. Even with drinking blood, it still took him a week to fully recover. I was so unbelievably mad at him but the fact that he was alive topped being mad. However, he did get an earful from me when he was better. Let's just say he hasn't disobeyed me since."

Ren whistled. "Did you get the cougars afterwards?"

"Oh it was full on war. The pack and I were out for blood. I had killed the one that was going to break his windpipe but the other two escaped. They started attacking the townspeople. That was the last straw; the townspeople have been nothing but kind to us, even if they are scared of us. We don't want anyone attacking our town. This is our home. No one is going to take it from us," Arya declared.

"God help the person that decides to cross you," Ren said with a chuckle. Realizing she had been ranting, Arya blushed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Back to Ansel. When we finish the dishes, we'll go talk to the pack," Arya assured with a smile. The two of them fell silent and finished the dishes. When they went back out, Derek was spraying everyone with a water hose. Except for Derek, everyone else was in wolf form. The water was soaking everyone's fur, and it also was dripping off the roses planted around the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Ren noticed the roses changed color each day. Today, they were yellow with red tips. He wondered what the colors meant. Ever since Arya had explained that the colors had different meanings, he had found himself surprisingly interested in them.

"I hate to ruin their fun…" Ren mumbled as the two shifted forms.

"I don't think Ansel will come tonight but if he does, I already have a plan so you'll just have to go along with it. Think you can handle that alpha?" She challenged with a gleam in her eyes. Arya knew Ren wouldn't back down from a challenge. She was right as he gave her a slight growl before nipping her ear and racing off to join the fun. Arya chased after him. Derek, not wanting to miss the fun, turned off the hose and changed into a wolf.

_Race you down the hill!_ Arya shouted to Ren in his mind. She bolted off and Ren was right at her heels. However, being who she was, Arya gracefully leapt on rocks and over fallen trees down to the bottom of the hill. Ren landed next to her after taking a massive leap from the top of the hill.

His tongue was hanging out and Arya knew that if they were humans right now, he'd be grinning.

The pack was soon to follow.

_Want to take a tour of Estes? _Arya asked Ren.

_I would love to... are we going to do it in wolf form?_ He inquired drolly.

_We have to give the tourists some entertainment_. Arya joked. She ordered her pack to split up and patrol the territory. They did so without any hesitation. Ren noticed they broke off in pairs except one was a trio: Walter, Mia, and Melinda.

_Melinda doesn't have a significant other. She and I both, so we usually hunt together. Of all the girls in the pack, I trust her the most._ Arya explained, seeing Ren's gaze.

_We need to find her a man… _Ren decided.

_I've tried but she doesn't want one. She's stubborn for an omega._

_She's the omega of the pack?_

_Yeah, her and Walter, which is why I'm surprised they aren't together. But, I think Walter likes Mia because she shares his love of baking._

_It would make sense. Like attracts like… which should make _us_ attracted to each other if you think about it._

_Are you trying to say you want to date me? _Arya asked jokingly as she started to trot off towards the town.

_You're the one that just implied that that's what I meant._

_It sounded like that's what you were implying._ Arya bantered. He nipped her shoulder which she proceeded to bump him with. She led him through an underground tunnel which they ran through since neither of them liked being underground. It was two miles the tunnel, but because they were Guardians, they had a heightened endurance and both of them were just barely breathless. The lights of Estes greeted them below.

_There it is. Estes Park. Population… actually I have no idea. It's somewhere in the six thousands. I was trying to sound intelligent just then but that didn't work out so hot. Come on. _ Arya said, trotting down the mountainside. Ren followed her closely.

_So the people here just let you roam around town? _Ren inquired curiously.

_Yeah. The Searchers aren't so keen on us doing it but they let us. We don't do any harm. We just give visitors one hell of a trip to remember._

_I could imagine. Well, we are both two stunning looking wolves so I'm sure that plays a part in it._

_Oh totally. _

* * *

**Ren**

They were near a park and some elk were grazing in it. The herd glanced up at them but Arya ignored them, so they ignored her and Ren. A traffic jam was already starting to occur at the sight of the two wolves; there weren't even that many cars out. Cameras were flashing and it was only until a policeman ordered the onlookers to either pull over or start driving that the traffic jam began to clear. Ren and Arya waited patiently to cross the road; the policeman apparently recognized Arya because he gave her a slight head nod. In return, she gave him a wink.

_I'm guessing you know him? _Ren queried.

_That's Paul James. He's the coolest policeman you'll ever meet._

_Where are we going?_

_I thought you'd like to have a snack at the Stanley. I know we just ate but they have amazing appetizers!_

_If we weren't wolves, we'd be on _The Biggest Loser _show_. Ren joked

_Are you calling me fat?_ Arya asked indignantly.

_NO!_ Ren assured sternly. _You are perfectly proportioned._

_Perfectly proportioned. Sheesh, and you're supposed to be a ladies' man? How did you get them with those arguments?_

_Hey! _Ren laughed. They walked into the parking lot and after making sure no one was looking, changed into human forms.

"It's chilly tonight," Arya commented, looking up at the moon and wrapping her arms around herself. It was bright and lit up everything in sight. Ren ached to put his arm around her and warm her up. However, he wasn't sure if she would appreciate the affection.

Since when had he never known what a girl did and didn't want? Arya was like Calla in this sense, Ren thought. He never knew what Calla wanted. Now he didn't know what Arya wanted. Maybe he should just give up on girls…

Pfft, like that was ever going to happen!

"Ren?" Arya's voice broke his thoughts. He looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking…" Ren replied.

"I'd ask what but I don't want to pry," Arya admitted. "More because I'm afraid you were thinking of something perverted."

"I'm not _always _thinking of something perverted!" Ren snapped lightly with a smile. "Just for the record, I was contemplating on whether I should put my arm around you to warm you up or not since you're obviously cold. I was just wondering if I should do it without your permission because I do believe you would kick my ass if you thought I was doing something wrong."

"Since when do you not know what a girl wants? My goodness, hell must've frozen over," Arya said with a laugh. "But just for _your_ record, if you see that I'm cold, you have my permission to put your arm around me."

And Ren did just that. Arya leaned into him as they entered the side door to the hotel. Her hair smelled fresh and the scent was very calming to Ren.

They walked up a flight of stairs and into the main lobby of the hotel.

"Evening, Miss Lightwood!" A man greeted with a wave.

"Evening, Ivan," Arya replied airily. "How are you?"

"I'm good, and you?"

"I'm doing really well," Arya said with a smile. They walked into Cascade, the name of the hotel's restaurant and ordered all the seafood appetizers which consisted of crab cakes, smoked rainbow trout, and tuna tartar. Ren thought it was delicious.

"Do you want any coffee or tea?" Arya inquired as she waved over a waiter.

"I could go for some coffee," Ren replied. She told the waiter their order and also asked for the check. When she reached in her pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, Ren stopped her.

"Oh no, I'm paying," He declared firmly, pulling out his credit card.

"No you're not. You're my guest and I don't let my guests pay," Arya argued.

"I'm also a gentleman and this is the least I could do for you letting me stay at your place and giving me the most incredible meals," Ren countered. "You. Are. Not. Paying."

"Hardhead…" Arya muttered but she put away her money. Ren smiled triumphantly as he paid the check. After drinking their coffee and tea, the two left the Stanley and walked into the woods before changing forms. With his tongue dangling out, Ren ran with Arya. They raced each other to the underground tunnel, jumping over obstacles in their path. At one point, they jumped over a stationary car which caused some stunned onlookers to immediately start snapping pictures of the two wolves.

Although Ren could've forced Arya out of the way so he could enter the tunnel first, he allowed her to go through first because he was a gentleman.

_Thank you. You weren't kidding about being a gentleman_. She acknowledged.

_I'm offended you thought I wasn't_. Ren said in mock hurt.

_Most alphas I've met are complete asses… excuse my French_. Arya added as they delved into darkness. The two mile tunnel took much longer walking but Ren didn't mind. He liked hanging with Arya.

Twenty minutes later, light entered the tunnel as they neared the exit. It was that small sight that sent Arya running. Ren immediately followed. He nipped at her tail, urging her to go faster. She yelped at the surprise before stopping completely and making Ren crash into her. The collision stunned him but Arya seemed unfazed and she took off again. Ren chased after her. When she bounded out of the tunnel's aperture, she was immediately tackled by a brown wolf. Ren barked in fury as he barreled out of the tunnel and charged after the attacker. Arya was handling her own fantastically though. Her teeth were bared as she lunged at the wolf; it barely got out of the way of her attack. Ren came to stand beside Arya and he growled at the newcomer. The brown wolf seemed stunned by Ren's sudden appearance, and he shifted forms, holding his arms up in surrender.

Ren felt himself shift, almost involuntarily.

"Ansel," Ren said in shock.

* * *

**Okey doke, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! They make me oh-so happy :P**


	6. Blue Rose

**So, did I shock you with Ansel being there? And how is Ren going to have a plan as to why he won't go back? So many questions, so many places to leave cliffhangers. Well, I won't keep you waiting. A shout out to Destiny and Fruity for reviewing! Y'all made me smile (and I just had a complete blonde moment. I forgot how to spell y'all…)**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**I'll even sing you a lullaby . . . and maybe you could show me what makes you howl."  
****~Connor from **_**Wolfsbane**_

* * *

Chapter 6: Blue Rose

**Ren**

He stared in shock at Ansel, who seem to share the sentiment equally, although his appeared to be coming from the fact that he had actually _found_ Ren.

"I knew you wouldn't leave," Ansel said with a grin. Ren rolled his eyes. Ansel's eyes rested on Arya, who was looking curiously at him.

"You must be Ansel," Arya finally said with a sweet smile. She extended her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Arya."

"Nice to meet you," he replied, shaking her hand firmly. "You're an alpha, aren't you?"

Arya grinned and Ren saw that she was turning on her charm. "How could you tell?"

"Mainly by the way you act as if Ren is your equal," Ansel said casually.

"Well, you're not wrong there. Welcome to Estes Park, by the way."

"Thank you… and sorry I attacked you. I thought Ren was going to be the one coming out first, not you. You're one hell of a fighter," Ansel complimented. Ren secretly was grateful Arya was talking to Ansel, mainly so he could gather his wits, especially for what he was about to do.

"Thank you," Arya replied. "You're not bad yourself."

Ansel looked between Arya and Ren, realizing how close they were standing next to each other. "So how do you two know each other?"

"She's my girlfriend," Ren replied coolly as he threaded his hand through Arya's. He felt her tense but she relaxed and thankfully went along.

Ansel raised an eyebrow. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes, Ansel. She's my girlfriend. You know what those are. Bryn is yours," Ren answered sarcastically.

Ansel rolled his eyes. "So who asked who?"

"He asked me," Arya replied. "It was quite romantic."

"Oh really?" Ansel looked amused.

"Yes, but I'm not one to brag. If you want to know, you'll have to ask him. Ren, would you two like to be alone?" Arya inquired, looking up at him. Her eyes were sparkling and she looked beautiful in the moonlight, especially with the silver halo surrounding her hair.

"Is that okay with you? I hate to leave you alone because you have a nasty habit of getting yourself into trouble," Ren joked with a smirk.

"Oh shut up," Arya retorted, shoving him a little. "I'll stay within rescuing range but far enough away where I can't hear you. I'll see you later."

"All right, beautiful," Ren replied. Then, knowing it was a risky move on his part, he gave her a kiss. She froze but let him.

"Well then…" Arya laughed.

"Has he never kissed you before?" Ansel inquired suspiciously; he had obviously seen her tense up.

"I'm not one to kiss and tell. It was nice meeting you Ansel," Arya said before she shifted forms and trotted off into a field. Ansel and Ren watched her figure retreat and they made sure she was out of hearing range before they said anything.

"She's beautiful," Ansel commented appreciatively.

"She is," Ren agreed wholeheartedly. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm came to see you and make sure you're doing all right. Obviously, with a girlfriend like that, you are."

"She's great," Ren admitted, and he was telling the truth. "How are you and Bryn?"

At that, although he was smiling from ear to ear, Ansel blushed. "We're doing much better now that I'm full Guardian again and not stuck as a human."

"That's good. I'm happy for you," Ren said sincerely.

"Listen, Ren, Calla's worried about you. She's scared you'll do something rash… like when you were leaping towards Emile…" Ansel said hesitantly.

"She chose Shay. Calla doesn't need to worry about me. Besides, I have a secret wolf guardian that will save my butt if something comes up." Ren didn't add the fact that he was actually with his secret Guardian wolf. He felt that small fact would make Arya mad. She acted as if she didn't want people outside of her pack and Ren to know she had saved him.

"Just because she chose Shay doesn't mean she's forgotten you," Ansel pointed out.

"She still chose him!" Ren nearly shouted. Seeing his former pack mate flinch, he recollected himself and calmly added, "I'm with Arya now, and she's the only one I care about."

"Do you love her?" Ansel questioned seriously. "Calla, I mean."

"I thought I did… and I think I still do, but not the way I previously I did. My love for her was because we were bonded by our status as alphas and I perceived it to be something more. Perhaps if Shay hadn't come along, it would've turned into true love, but now we'll never know."

"What about Arya? Do you love her?"

"I do," Ren replied without any hesitation, although he still shocked himself by saying that, but he tried to hide it from the younger wolf; thankfully, Ansel didn't catch it.

"Does she know?" Ansel queried, looking in Arya's direction. They couldn't see her anymore but Ren could sense she was nearby. He had a feeling she wouldn't be too far away from him in a situation where she knew he was nervous or uncomfortable.

"No… and I'm not sure she feels the same way, but I can hope," Ren said quietly. He chuckled to himself. "I never thought I would turn into one of those hopeless romantics but for her, I think I'd turn into anything she wanted me to be."

"Tell her you love her because if something happens to either of you, she'll never know how you felt," Ansel pointed out.

"It's too early in the relationship An… but I will tell her one day. Just not anytime soon," Ren said. "Listen, it's good to see you, but you have to promise me something."

"Shoot."

"You can't tell any of the Nightshade pack that you saw me or that you know where I am," Ren ordered sternly.

"Why not?" Ansel demanded.

"Because I don't want anything to do with Calla and Shay. I don't want anyone's sympathy. Why do you think I'm with Arya and her pack? They treat me like I've always been a part of their pack… okay, maybe not her second. In fact, I think he would like to gut me but I think Arya is the only reason he hasn't. But that's not the point. The point is that I'm happy here because I don't have to worry about Calla or Shay. I never realized how trapped I was by my feelings for Calla. But now I feel free, and it's thanks to Arya and her pack. Don't ruin that for me," Ren ranted.

Ansel stared at him. "You felt trapped by my sister?"

"I didn't realize it at the time and I know it sounds horrible but I was always so damn worried about what mess she was going to get herself into next that I never realized the only reason I thought I loved her was because we were bonded as alphas. Maybe that's the case with Arya but I don't think it is and I want to chase that feeling with her."

"She loved you, you know," Ansel said quietly.

"Oh yeah? Then why did she choose Shay?"

"I don't know, only she could explain that. Just talk to her and-"

"No!" Ren protested heatedly. "I told you, I don't want to talk to her. Mason, Nev, Bryn, _you_- I have nothing against any of you but I refuse to talk to your alphas. If I ever have to, it will be because of business and nothing else."

Ansel looked hurt but Ren didn't care. He didn't want to see Calla and it seemed that Ansel couldn't get that through his head. "Well, if you ever change your mind, our doors are always open. And you can bring Arya. She's welcome too, although my sister may flip out a bit and she might be a bitch to her."

"Arya can handle it," Ren promised.

"I know she can," Ansel said, with a slight smirk. "It was nice seeing you Ren… and just keep in touch with me at least, just so I know you're doing all right, okay? At least promise me that," he requested.

With a defeated sigh, Ren agreed. Ansel smiled drolly. "See you around, alpha."

"See you Ansel," Ren said. They gave each other a bro hug and Ansel left. Ren shifted into wolf form and projected his thoughts to Arya. _You there?_

_I'm here_. Arya responded instantly. There was some shuffling to his left and when he turned around, she was padding quietly over to him. _Is everything okay?_

_Yeah… did you hear anything?_

Ren felt Arya's embarrassment. _A little._ She admitted. _But not much._

_What did you hear?_

_Just the last part when Ansel said he thought his sister would be a bitch to me and you said I could handle it._

_Well you could._ Ren pointed out.

If wolves could grin, Arya would be. _Come on, let's go home. I think we've had enough excitement for one night._

_I couldn't agree with you more. And thank you, for going along with my plan. Sorry if the kiss shocked you but I wanted to make the whole girlfriend/boyfriend thing seem genuine._

_It's fine… if you want to know the truth, that was one of my backup plans… the girlfriend/boyfriend thing I mean. It seems we have similar minds alpha. And you're a good kisser so that made it much more pleasant._

_You think I'm a good kisser? _Ren asked cockily as they headed up towards the Lightwood Compound. Arya merely sent him a slight chuckle but didn't say anything.

As they neared the hill that led up to the house, Arya stopped. _That's weird…_ She said.

_What is?_ Ren questioned.

_Shiloh's scent is here. I know he came down here earlier but this is recent. It's really strong_.

Ren sniffed and instantly knew what she was talking about. The smoky smell was powerful and it made him wary. What if Shiloh had heard his conversation with Ansel? If that was the case, he was so screwed…

_Come on_. Arya said, trotting up the hill. Ren followed her closely and Shiloh's scent got stronger and stronger. Ren knew the beta wolf had gone up this path just a few minutes before him. The two alphas shifted into human form when the ground leveled out. Instantly, Ren received a punch to the jaw.

"Shiloh!" Arya screamed. Ren, completely dazed by the punch, shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. He started to stand up but was roughly grabbed and pinned to the side of a house.

"You bastard!" Shiloh snarled, showing his razor sharp canines. Ren had had enough of this guy and with all the force he could gather, he kicked Shiloh in the legs. He howled in pain and let go of Ren.

"Don't you dare grab me again," Ren growled. Shiloh looked up at him, pure hatred on his face.

"I'll do whatever I damn well want," he replied sharply, before lunging at Ren. He leapt out of the way, not wanting to fight the guy but it seemed he wasn't going to get a choice if this kept up. He didn't want to hurt Shiloh because he knew it would hurt Arya.

"Shiloh! Stop!" Arya commanded. By now, the other pack mates were racing out of their houses to see what was happening. Shiloh seemed not to hear Arya because he swung at Ren with a force that probably would've knocked Ren out had he not dodged out of the way. The punch, however, connected with his ribs, and he heard several of them crack. He grunted in pain before kicking Shiloh in the stomach. He tackled him and the two boys rolled over in the dirt each trying to get the upper hand. Sometime during the fight, the two of them had changed into wolves and jaws were snapping, fur was flying, and blood was being shed.

"Damn it! Get off of him!" Arya yelled as she changed forms and charged into the two fighting boys. The impact sent Shiloh and Ren sprawling away from each other; Rigg and Dmitri immediately grabbed onto Ren while Derek and Austin held onto Shiloh. Both boys were desperately trying to fight each other again.

"What the hell was that about?" Arya demanded, walking up to her second. She looked extremely pissed.

"Why didn't you tell me? Tell _us_?" he shouted.

"Tell you what?" Arya asked furiously.

"That you two were dating!"

The pack fell silent as they took in the words. Arya's eyes blazed with her fury. With a growl she explained, "One of Ren's old pack mates showed up and he needed an excuse to say why he didn't want to return. We lied saying I was his girlfriend."

"Then why did he kiss you?" Shiloh snarled.

"To make the relationship seem legitimate," Arya informed. "In case you were wondering, it was my idea in the first place. So if you want someone to blame, blame it on me, not him."

Shiloh breathed heavily. Blood trickled down his face and his face was bruising from where Ren had punched him sometime during the altercation. "Derek, Austin, get him cleaned up," Arya directed. Without words, the two boys complied and dragged the beta into his house.

"Everyone, go back to bed," Arya said, her voice sounding extremely tired. Her pack listened without hesitation, although Dmitri and Rigg stayed, not sure if they could let Ren go. When she saw this, she said, "Y'all can let him go."

Ren was freed and he just stood there while Dmitri and Rigg went into their house. Awkwardly, he stood there, waiting for Arya to explode on him. Surprisingly she didn't but merely told him to follow her. Ren tried not to wince with every step he took but his ribs were killing him and a few groans escaped his lips. Arya turned around and without asking, put his arm around her shoulders and helped him inside. They walked into the kitchen where she ordered him to sit. He did so without any argument because it felt good to sit.

"Where does it hurt?" She asked stoically.

"Everywhere, pretty much," Ren admitted. Arya gave a humorless chuckle as she opened a cabinet and took out various items. She walked over to him and gently started to clean the blood off his face with a damp towel. Ren said nothing and let her clean him up. He was afraid to say anything at all. When his face was taken care of, she said, "Take off your shirt."

Ren painfully took off his t-shirt and was shocked to see how black and blue his abdomen was from Shiloh's punch. Arya grimaced. "You need blood to heal that." With a sigh she started to make a cut in her arm for him to drink from but he stopped her.

"Arya, don't. I deserve to be like this," Ren said softly. She looked at him like was crazy.

"That's stupid, Ren. If anyone deserves to heal naturally, it's Shiloh. He's the one that started the whole thing," Arya answered.

"I shouldn't have fought back the way I did," Ren pointed out.

"You were defending yourself… besides, you're an alpha. It's in your blood to fight back. Now drink." Before he could stop her, she made a small incision on her forearm and put it to his mouth. Not wanting to piss her off any more than she already was, he drank; instantly Ren felt the magic properties of the Guardian blood healing his ribs. He stopped when he felt his ribs were just bruised. Arya frowned and tried to get him to keep drinking but he said, "They're not broken anymore, just bruised, and the blood is still working. I'll be fine in the morning."

"Are you sure?" Arya inquired. Ren nodded. "Okay. Then let's get you up to bed. I need to go talk to Shiloh and make sure he's okay. I hate yelling at him… but he infuriates me so much!" Ren put on his t-shirt as Arya kept ranting. "He wants me to be happy but then he attacks my guest and expects me to just let it slide? Hell no."

Ren didn't know what to say but he was shocked to see Arya on the verge of tears. Slowly he got up and walked over to her.

"He loves you… that's why he got so mad," Ren whispered.

"I wished he didn't love me," Arya muttered.

"He's afraid to lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"He's afraid to lose you to me," Ren told her kindly. She looked up at him.

"Why?"

"Because he thinks just because I'm an alpha, you'll instantly be attracted to me."

Arya gave a small smile. "That still doesn't give him the right to attack you."

"Not to you, but he justified it in his mind that he could. I just wonder how much of the conversation he heard between me and Ansel…"

"Why?"

"I said some things that I don't want him repeating," Ren explained, "at least not yet."

"Are they personal?"

"They're feelings that I don't want anyone to know yet. Listen, it's late. Why don't you go to bed and you can talk to Shiloh in the morning? You'll be more reasonable and patient when you're not high-strung and tired," Ren suggested.

"I guess you're right…" Arya mumbled. She turned around and headed up the stairs. He followed her. When they reached their rooms, Arya turned around and was about to say goodnight but he cut her off. "About that kiss, I'm not sorry I did it, even if it did get me a beating by Shiloh. In fact, it was the best kiss I've had in a long time."

Arya looked at him curiously. "That makes two of us… although I could've done without Shiloh attacking you."

Ren smiled. "When you talk to him in the morning, whether he believes this or not, tell him I didn't want to fight. I don't want to fight with any of your pack mates."

"I'll let him know," She assured. Arya stood on her tippy-toes and gave Ren a kiss on the cheek. "That's for sweet dreams." She winked before heading into her room, leaving Ren wanting more than just a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! So Shiloh finally snapped… anyways, please review! They make me so happy it's pathetic.**


	7. Black Rose

**I hope that last chapter was interesting! I'm trying to find good Ren quotes, preferably one-liners so if you know any let me know!**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**This is only about love."  
****~Renier Laroche**

* * *

Chapter 7: Black Rose

**Ren**

In the morning, Ren's body wracked with pain; at least it wasn't as bad as last night's. He groaned at the memory. He was pretty sure Shiloh would've killed him if Arya hadn't intervened. At the thought of Arya, Ren opened his eyes. She was supposed to talk to her second this morning. Was she talking to him right now? And if so, what were they talking about? Probably Shiloh was convincing Arya that his, meaning Ren's, time was up here and that he needed to leave. Ren hoped she wouldn't agree.

"Ren?" Arya's soft voice floated from the entrance to his room. His eyes flitted over to the doorway. She stood there hesitantly, her hands clasped behind her back.

"Hey," he murmured, and mentally cursing himself for not being able to sound stronger. He was an alpha; he was supposed to be strong twenty-four-seven.

"May I come in?"

"Of course," he replied. Arya padded over to his bed and sat on the edge of it.

"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly, studiously avoiding eye contact.

"Better than last night, but that's not hard." Ren sat up, trying to hide the pain it was causing him, but Arya instantly saw his discomfort.

"Let me check your ribs." Without asking for his permission, she lifted his t-shirt up and lightly trailed her fingers over his torso. He hoped she couldn't feel the muscle spasms her touch was causing him. "Well, they're definitely healing but you're going to be sore unless you take more blood."

"No," Ren protested firmly. "I brought this upon myself. I'll let it heal on its own. The worst damage is fixed."

Arya looked down at the sheets and started drawing circles on them with her thumb.

"Arya?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you talk to Shiloh?"

Without looking up, she nodded. "He said he was sorry for attacking you; once I told him the whole story, he calmed down…"

"I feel there's something you're holding back from me," Ren observed, taking a hold of her hand. When she still didn't look up at him, he lifted her chin and was shocked to see her eyes were bloodshot. "Arya, what happened?"

"He's threatening to leave the pack," she whispered.

"Surely there's a way he would stay," Ren said.

"There is… and I'm sure you can figure it out," she replied quietly.

Of course he knew. He had suspected it all along. Ren knew it was probably for the best that he had to leave but he was shocked to find how his chest tightened at the prospect of leaving Arya. "I'll start packing," he murmured, kissing her on the forehead.

"No!" Arya jerked her head up to look at him; her vehemence surprised him. In a softer tone, she added, "That's just it; I don't want to lose you either, Ren. You're a part of this pack just as much as he is. He might have been here longer but it doesn't matter. Not even Derek was able to fit in as easily as you did. You haven't noticed it but I have; the pack is more… stable. They look up to you, and to be honest, it's nice to have another alpha around, someone I can relate to. I'm not ordering you to stay; you're an alpha and can make your own choices. But I am _asking_ that you stay. Except for Shiloh, everyone here loves you and Leyla even told me before I went to talk to Shiloh that if you left, she would really miss you, and not just because you're hot. Just… please consider staying here."

Arya had barely taken a breath throughout that whole speech and she was somewhat breathless. Ren cupped one of her cheeks. "I would love to, Arya. You have no idea how much I would love to… but I don't know. I know what it's like to be in Shiloh's position. He was pretty much the alpha male here and then I come waltzing in and take over. It's what happened to me in my old pack and it hurts like hell. I don't want to do that to Shiloh… even if he does hate my guts."

She gave a small smile but her eyes were tearing up. She wiped away a stray tear that fell down. "Damn it… I hate crying."

"You've had a stressful few hours with little sleep… did you get any sleep at all?"

She snorted. "No."

"Come on; you'll feel better once you get some sleep," Ren said, pulling her into his arms and lying down. Arya didn't resist but she also didn't try and get as close as she could to him. In fact, the moment her head was down, she shut her eyes and a in a few moments, she was asleep. Ren grinned down at her. He couldn't believe he had a girl sleeping in his bed with him. The last girl he had done this with was Calla and that had only been brief and a hot make-out session. With Arya, they had talked; okay, it was a pretty deep conversation but still, Ren usually had the girls trying to rip off his clothes by now. She seemed completely unfazed by him and seemed to have no such intentions.

Pushing away his thoughts of previous girls, Ren pulled Arya close to him. She unconsciously threw her arm across his chest. If she had been awake, it would've been an undeniable gesture of ownership, but asleep, he had no idea what it meant.

* * *

**Later that day…**

When Ren woke up again, Arya was gone, but there was a note on his pillow. In her flowing, half-cursive, half-print handwriting, she said she had gone to hunt. Not wanting her to be out alone, Ren forced himself to get up. He walked downstairs, not even bothering to change outfits. When he walked out of the house, he immediately ran into someone.

"Ren." The voice was curt and instantly recognizable.

"Shiloh," Ren answered, his voice terse as well.

"Do you know where Arya is?"

"She told me she was going hunting," he informed. He purposefully had avoided saying that she had left a note on his pillow after falling asleep in his arms. After seeing Shiloh's feelings towards her, Ren had no intentions of giving the beta information about his and Arya's relationship. Hell, Ren didn't even know what to make of it…

"Damn it… I hate it when she does this," Shiloh grumbled, turning around.

"Is she okay?" Ren questioned, unable to stop himself.

"Who knows… when she has a rough time or whatever, she'll go hunt by herself and she's gotten injured way too many times doing that. I'm going to go search for her."

"Would you like me to help?" Ren offered politely. He tried to keep his voice neutral so that Shiloh wouldn't assume he was only helping so he could make-out with Arya later. Not that he didn't want to, because in all actuality, he did. Ren only refrained because he wasn't ready for a relationship yet, Arya probably didn't even like him that way, and Shiloh would kill him before Ren could even lean in for the kiss.

"Sure," he replied, hesitating only a little. "Arya's probably more willing to talk to you than she is to me. Oh, and alpha, just because I'm being polite to you now doesn't change anything between us. I still think the pack would be better off if you were gone, and I still don't like you."

"The feeling's mutual; and as for the pack, I'm inclined to agree with you," Ren admitted. That actually stopped Shiloh.

"What did you say?"

"Arya told me that you were threatening to leave the pack. You can believe this or not, but I know your position right now. You want to leave because of that 'new guy' but you want to stay because this is your territory and you love her. I've been there, and it sucks. So when we find Arya, I'm telling her I'm leaving. I hope you're happy," Ren said before he shifted forms and trotted off in search for Arya.

* * *

**Shiloh**

Shiloh stood dumbfounded as he watched Ren leave in search of Arya. How much had Arya told him? Apparently a good deal because the male alpha seemed to know a lot of what Shiloh was feeling. Something else that shocked Shiloh? Ren was leaving the pack because of _him_. In all honestly, he thought he would've been glad, but seeing Arya's reaction last night made him realize something: she loved Ren, and more than she would ever love Shiloh. It hurt, but he would rather Arya be happy.

"Shiloh!" Carrie's voice shouted. He turned around and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"The pack has gone out in search. Where are you headed?"

"I'm going the way Ren did. He's helping too. Do you want to come?"

"Sure." The two shifted forms and trotted down the hill.

_So what happened between you and Arya? I heard a lot of shouting coming from your room_. Carrie said casually, although Shiloh could hear the worry.

_Nothing of importance. I just have to convince Ren to stay._

_He's leaving?!_ Carrie demanded furiously.

_That's what he said._

_Why? It's obvious he loves it here!_

_He's leaving because of me…_

_What? Why?_ So Shiloh dove into the story about his conversation with Ren just a few minutes before. By the time he finished, they were far away from the compound.

_So that's why I have to convince him to stay. He loves her and she loves him; that's all there is to it._ Shiloh said.

_It's a very noble thing to do Shiloh_. Carrie praised softly. He turned to look at her.

_Thank you_. He replied. His hazel eyes met her chocolate brown ones and they just stared at each other. It was only Arya's urgent, heartbroken howl that broke them from their trance. They bolted off in her direction. Shiloh had never heard Arya's howl so sad and tragic and desperate. Something was terribly wrong. She howled again and this time, Shiloh knew that Ren had found her… and that he was the cause of her pain. A brief image flashed across his mind of the alpha hurting her, but Shiloh quickly pushed that down. He knew Ren would never do that. When he and Carrie reached the scene, bile rose up in his throat. Besides the pungent smell of beer and cigarettes, Ren lie in a pool of blood- his own blood. Arya was desperately trying to get him to drink some of her own blood but he wasn't moving all the while swearing in different languages her second didn't even know she spoke.

Shiloh shifted forms and walked over to Arya. She was in near hysteria, partially for her worry over Ren and partially due to the fact that she had lost so much blood trying to get Ren to drink it. Carrie came over as well (in human form) and helped Shiloh get Arya off of Ren's motionless body. The alpha was still breathing but only barely. Shiloh made an incision on the fatty side of his hand and forced it into Ren's mouth. For an agonizing two minutes, nothing happened other than the fact that Dmitri, Derek, Leyla, Rigg, Taki, and Katrina showed up. Finally, Ren moaned in pain and Shiloh let out a small sigh of relief. Arya looked like she was about to collapse so Derek lifted her up and carried her to the compound. She tried to fight him so that she could be with Ren but when she saw Shiloh carrying the wounded alpha, she stopped and allowed herself to be carried.

The trip to the compound was long and excruciatingly nerve-wracking. A few times, Shiloh had to put Ren down and give him blood when he thought the alpha had stopped breathing. Each time Ren would come back around but only for a few minutes. About an hour later, they reached his room. Derek had put Arya in her bed. Somewhere along the way, she had passed out. Ren was still bleeding but not as badly as before.

Shiloh still didn't know what had happened to cause Ren to bleed so much. After ordering Derek to go get bandages, Shiloh lifted up Ren's shirt to find a gaping bullet wound in his stomach.

* * *

**Dun dun dun… poor Ren. ****He can't catch a break can he? Please review!**


	8. Veilchenbleu Rose

**Sorry about the slow updates! My computer is acting up and I have summer assignments I really need to finish and I'm so procrastinating on them!**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**Tell me you'll come back for the pack. For me. I don't want to lose you."  
****~Renier Laroche in **_**Nightshade**_

* * *

Chapter 8: Veilchenblau Rose

**Shiloh**

Shiloh stared at Ren's limp body on the bed in front of him. It was a miracle he was alive at all. If it hadn't been for the whole pack giving him some of their blood, god only knows what shape Ren would be in now. All of pack members had left the room looking wan. At that moment, Derek came in looking forlorn. Shiloh turned around and instantly demanded, "How's Arya?"

"She ain't coming out of her room. She refuses to talk to anyone," Derek informed. Shiloh groaned.

"I'll see if I can talk to her. You watch him," he ordered. Derek took the seat Shiloh had previously occupied as Shiloh walked to Arya's room. He knocked and tried to open her door; it was locked.

"Go away!" shouted Arya, her voice muffled.

"I'm not leaving. I have news about Ren," he replied.

"Tell me through the door," She ordered.

"No, the only way I'll tell you is if you open the door," he said firmly. Her room was silent for a few moments before he heard the slight padding of her feet. Arya opened the door a crack and peered out. Discreetly, Shiloh wedged is foot in the door so that she wouldn't be able to close it on him.

"He's stable and he should be awake soon. He's going to live, Arya," he told her reassuringly.

"Good…" she whispered before attempting to shut the door. His foot blocked it and no matter how hard she tried, Arya couldn't get his foot out of the way. Finally, she gave up and stormed over to her bed, plopping down on it. Shiloh followed her in.

"What happened?" he asked gently, sitting on the bed next to her.

Arya drew her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on them. "He found me at the place where we first met. He asked if we could take a walk and I said yes. Just by his tone I knew that he was going to tell me he was leaving. We walked into the field and just as he was about to tell me, two poachers came and loaded their guns straight at me. Ren and I bolted into the forest and they followed. Ren hid in some trees while I hid behind a boulder. The two guys came in and I leapt on the nearest one. He was the bigger of the two. Ren jumped on the other guy. The one I was attacking hit me in the chin and knocked me off of him. Ren had pretty much rendered the other guy immobile and he leapt in front of me right before the guy fired. It hit him in the stomach and I guess the pain made him lose his ability to control his morphing because he changed into a human. The two poachers ran off and I started giving Ren blood as I called for you. Then you came and you know the rest."

"He took a bullet for you?" Shiloh questioned.

"Yes…"

"Ren isn't going to leave," Shiloh declared. Arya looked up at him with dubious eyes.

"How do you know?"

"Because when he talks to you, he's going to see how distraught you are that he almost died and he's going to see how much you love him," he explained.

"But he doesn't want you to feel like he's taking over for you."

"He won't be taking over. He'll be filling in the position that has always been open: alpha male. I was just your beta and nothing more. I do love you Arya, don't get me wrong, but I'm beginning to realize that maybe it's because you're my alpha. I… I think I love Carrie."

"Then go get her!" Arya exclaimed. "Go tell her how you feel!"

"I was planning on it but I was worried about you. I'll tell her in the morning. Now you get some sleep and I'm going to go check on Ren, okay? I'll let you know when he's awake."

"Okay," she murmured, already falling asleep. Shiloh left the room and took over for Derek.

"He started to stir a little," Derek informed.

"Good, maybe he'll wake up soon." Shiloh sat down as the pack mate left and stared at the hole in his jeans.

"Shiloh?" Ren's weak voice snapped Shiloh's attention up to the alpha.

"Ren. You're awake. Thank god!"

"Is Arya okay?"

"She's fine, just worried sick about you. I'll go get her," Shiloh offered as he started to get up.

"No!" Ren protested. "No. I- I can't face her right now."

"What? Why? Dude, you took a bullet for her but you can't talk to her? That's some messed up logic," Shiloh commented, trying but failing to lessen the tension between them.

"It's not that… it's that I won't be able to stand the look on her face when I tell her I'm leaving," Ren confessed.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Shiloh demanded. When Ren only shook his head and gave a weak wave of his hand, Shiloh added, "I want what Arya wants and she wants you to stay. It's hard for me to hate you when you took a bullet for her. I love her because she's my alpha, nothing more. Talk to her. Face to face. I'm going to get her now."

Shiloh left the room before Ren could argue.

* * *

**Ren**

Ren's heart pounded as he waited for Arya. How could he face her?

The door opened softly and she stepped in. "Ren?"

"Hey, Arya," Ren said with a weak smile. Tentatively, she walked in and sat on the edge of his bed. "You okay?"

"A lot better now that I know you're going to be okay," she admitted. "And you?"

"Feeling like I fell from the top of the Empire State Building." She gave a small chuckle. She turned her head away briefly and wiped something off her face. "Listen, Arya… about me staying here…"

She clenched her jaw. "I know. I know what you're going to say." Arya mumbled. She was refusing to look at him. "Is there anything I could do to make you stay?"

"I can't Arya. Shiloh hates me, no matter how much he denies it," Ren said.

"I talked to Shiloh. He told me he didn't feel like you were replacing him, that you were filling in the spot that's been open since the time I took over the pack. You would fill in as alpha male. Shiloh would still be my beta."

"But he _loves_ you Arya, there's no denying it," Ren argued. He was trying to find any foundation that he could grip, anything to stop himself from giving in to Arya. He had to do what was best for the pack and her heartbroken expression wasn't helping.

"No, but he loves me as an alpha, he even said it himself. Besides," Arya said with a slight smile, "he loves Carrie. He told me so."

"Carrie?"

"Yes, Carrie. Now please Ren, stay."

"Arya, I-"

"Stay for the pack," she whispered, and then adding in a barely audible voice, "I don't want to lose you."

A flashback hit Ren when he had chased Calla down on the night of their wedding when he had said something almost exactly like Arya had just now: _"Tell me you'll come back for the pack. For me. I don't want to lose you."_

Struggling to sit up, Ren made himself level with Arya. She still refused to look at him. Gently he lifted her chin with his knuckles and whispered, "I don't want to lose you either."

Arya let out a choked sob before he leaned in and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her torso and pulling her in close to him. She cupped his face and willingly returned it.

"Does this mean you'll stay?" Arya asked as she broke of the kiss briefly. At this he hesitated. He didn't believe Shiloh when he said he wanted Ren to stay. Maybe he was being truthful in wanting what Arya wanted; however, actually going far enough to say he didn't love Arya in the way Ren thought Shiloh did, Ren didn't believe that.

"I don't know…" he murmured. She pulled away, even though he pulled on her to stay. His strength failed him as she slipped out easily of his grip.

"Then I'm going to my room until you make up your mind," Arya decided.

"No, please, stay," he begged.

"No. I'm not going to allow myself to get anymore attached to you than I already am by sleeping with you tonight. I'll see you in the morning. I'll give you until tomorrow night to give me your answer about staying." Before Ren could say anything more, Arya had glided out of his room, making no sound. He called out her name. Silence answered.

_Fool!_ Ren hissed in his mind.

"You're a fool Ren Laroche," Shiloh mused, echoing Ren's thoughts.

"Thank you. I had _no_ idea," he snarled.

"Don't be rude to me, alpha. I could kill you."

"I almost wish you would."

"I'm not. I think I'd rather let you suffer."

"How kind of you."

"So how long has she given you to decide?"

"Until tomorrow night."

"It makes sense she chose after it but that also means time isn't on our side," Shiloh grumbled, pacing up and down.

"What do you mean?"

"She probably forgot to tell you all this, what with your old pack mate showing up and you getting shot and now this, but there's a fundraising dinner tomorrow in Denver. We're all expected to be there. If you're not there, people will know something's up, at least the people who know about what we are. So we have to make sure you're well enough to go."

"If Arya doesn't want me there, then I won't go. I'm not going to piss her off any more than I already have. Besides, I think she's had enough of me. I'll be out of all your hair tomorrow."

"Don't even think about it," Shiloh growled. "Why won't you stay?"

"Because you don't want me to and I will not, _I will not_, cause you to feel like I've taken over. I know the feeling all too well. I don't care how much you hate me, I'm not going to put someone in the same position I was put in."

"Get this through your head alpha: I love Arya, but I'm not _in_ love with her. For your information, I'm in love Carrie. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow, she and I will be dating. Got it?"

"Yeah…"

"Now, you're going to be drinking a lot of blood to be better by tomorrow. Pucker up, Prince," Shiloh ordered.

"You're way too perky about this," Ren mumbled.

"I know. Oh, and fair warning, the girls all get ready in Arya, Carrie, Leyla, and Melinda's rooms here, so you'll be kicked out of here sometime in the afternoon. I don't know what takes girls so long to get ready. Another warning, they tend to be knockouts, all of them, so try not to drool over any of them."

"I won't."

"You're welcome to over Arya."

"Shut up."

"Aye-aye alpha."

"I'm not your alpha."

Shiloh shrugged. "You might as well be."

"Why do you say that?" Ren inquired before Shiloh forced him to drink some blood.

"Arya is going to end up dating someone, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but if and when we have a male alpha helping her run the show, I want it to be you."

"Thanks."

"You're scared, aren't you? Being the alpha of a new pack, I mean," he said.

"Among other things, yes. I lost my pack. I need a new one. I just want my new pack to respect me and how can that happen when their current alpha won't speak to me now?"

"She will. Arya's irresistibly attracted to you. What we need to do is have you looking smokin' hot in a suit tomorrow and all will be well."

"You're really optimistic about this."

"I'm a lot nicer once I get to like a person. I never thought it'd happen but you've grown on me. You make my alpha laugh, you make her smile, you make her happy. I've never seen that genuine of a smile on her face caused by a single guy. Okay, now we're going to stop blabbering and start healing you. First things first, I'm going to get you a belt because you're going to need something to bite down on while I stitch up this gun wound."

* * *

**Shiloh**

Shiloh was hanging out with Derek and Ray when someone knocked on his door. Ray opened it. Ren stood there with a small bag of his things.

"The girls kicked me out…" he admitted rather sheepishly.

"I told you they would. Come on in. How you feeling?" Shiloh queried. Ren entered the room, plopping down at the edge of the bed.

"Achy, but I can walk."

"Good. You'll be standing for a while. Let's get you a suit. We'll have to go into town for that." Ren nodded. The boys stood up, alerting the other males where they were going. It ended up being they all left while the girls stayed and dolled themselves up. Shiloh felt inexplicably bad for Ren. Whatever Arya had told him certainly caused him inner turmoil. But if Ren was so in love with her, which he obviously was, why hide it? Why not tell her? Instinct told him the alpha must've had some bad relationships in the past and that he was scared to love another girl.

Shiloh would make sure Ren and Arya ended up together, or else he'd have to deal with a miserable leader for ages to come.

* * *

**Carrie**

"Ren is going to drool over you Arya!" Erin exclaimed as she finished putting the finishing touches on her alpha's hair bun.

"We're not like that," Arya mumbled, looking down at her hands which she fiddled with in her lap. She'd been relatively quiet most of the day, avoiding Ren when the girls had kicked him out. He'd been roaming over each of the girls, clearly looking for Arya, and his expression turned to one of dismay when he didn't see her.

"Oh come on, I know you two have kissed," Taki claimed while she struggled to make her black hair perfectly straight.

"How do you know?" Arya inquired, her eyes flitting to her pack mate.

"Oh please, his scent was all over you this morning. Hell, it's still there. Sandalwood and leather. If I wasn't so in love with my Frankie boy, I'd so go for Ren," Taki laughed.

"And if he wasn't so in love with Arya, then you might have a chance," Katrina pointed out.

"Oh, a girl can hypothesize."

"Hypothesize, really?" Leyla rolled her eyes. Taki stuck her tongue out at her.

Arya stood up and walked over to her closet where she dug through her dresses. For a girl who tended to be unorganized, her closet was immaculate. She ignored the girls' teasing about Ren, which they seemed to pick up on. It was Carrie who brought it up. "So you kissed, we get that, but why do you act like it's no big deal?"

Arya shrugged as she pulled out a green dress. "Because most likely, by the end of the night, he's not going to be here any longer."

"What?!" all the girls exclaimed simultaneously.

"Geez, pipe down. People in Norway probably heard you," Arya remarked, not making eye contact with anyone.

"Why is he leaving?!" Irene demanded.

"Hell if I know. He claims it's because Shiloh hates him but that's not true, and I've told him as much as has Shiloh himself. There's something deeper but if he doesn't want to tell me, I won't prod."

"You're not wearing that," Mia commented, snatching away the green dress before Arya could untie her robe.

"Why not?" Arya retorted, attempting to take it back from her.

"Because we're going to have you wear a dress that will knock Ren off his feet and have him follow you around like a puppy," Nancy explained. Mia threw the dress to her, which Nancy caught easily. "Carrie, Melinda, watch her and make sure she doesn't bolt. Everyone else, follow me. We need to find our alpha a dress."

Arya audibly groaned. Carrie and Melinda sat down next to her. "Do you love him?" Melinda whispered so the others wouldn't overhear.

"I-I do, but I don't think he shares the same sentiments. I'm starting to think I was a distraction to him and nothing more," Arya confessed, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

"The only person he looked for was you this morning. I don't think you're a distraction for him. Like you said, he lost his pack. Maybe there's something bothering him about that, and it's interfering with every other part of his life," Carrie suggested.

"I don't know. We'll see how it turns out tonight," Arya replied.

"Got it!" Leyla shrieked from inside the closet, making the three girls on the bed jump. The red head nearly flew out of the closet with the chosen dress in hand. When Arya saw it, she protested, "No. No, no, and no. Not happening. Sorry, wrong number. I won't. I refuse."

"First off, you just quoted Lindsay Lohan from the _Parent Trap_, and second, yes, you totally are," Amy said with a grin. Arya let out a whimper as her pack mates surrounded her.

* * *

**Ren**

He looked at himself in the mirror, taking in the image of himself in a suit. Ren didn't know how the tailor, Mr. Reinhart, could create such a perfectly tailored suit in such a short amount of time, but he did, and Ren looked sharp in it. The suit was simple, yet striking.

"Girls will be pining over you, bud," Michael, or MJ as Ren had come to call him, observed with a grin.

"But there's only one girl you want pining over you, is that correct?" Dmitri asked drolly.

"She won't pay me any attention. In case you forgot, she's not speaking to me," Ren pointed out.

"Ah, girls are finicky. By the end of the night, you two will be together. Have you always been this nervous around girls? Or is it just Arya that does this to you?" Rigg joked.

Ren pondered the thought for a moment. He had only partially been this way with Calla, but not _this_ unsure of himself, not _this_ self-conscious. "No, just with Arya."

"That means you love her. Come on lover boy, time to go," Walter informed.

"Don't call me that," Ren warned.

"Yes, sir, alpha."

"And don't call me alpha. I'm not your alpha."

"So what do you want us to call you?"

"Just… call me Ren."

"So boring," Shiloh chuckled, "but we'll do it."

The boys walked downstairs and to the courtyard of the house. The fountain danced about as they all waited for the girls to make their appearance. Ren sat down on the edge of the fountain, ignoring the boys around him who had resorted to wrestling around in wolf form to past the time. He looked up, however, when Shiloh cleared his throat. The girls came out of Arya's house, wearing a mixture of all colors. There were blue dresses, yellow dresses, red dresses, white dresses, green dresses, but only one black dress.

"Stop staring. You're drooling," Shiloh whispered to Ren when he saw the alpha staring at Arya in her strapless black dress and black stilettos which looked like torture devices. There were cutouts on the side of her dress, showing skin. It wasn't slutty or anything like that, but it made Ren want to grab her, pin her against a wall, and kiss her until his lips fell off.

Arya seemed to not know what to do with her dress. She kept pulling the dress down and then pulling the top up. He overheard her say to Leyla, "I'm going to kill you." Leyla only smirked at her.

"All right everyone, gather round. I'm giving out who's riding with who. Shiloh, you're driving with me, Carrie, Mia, and Melinda. Ray, you're driving with Erin, MJ, and Katrina. Rigg, you're driving with Dmitri, Nancy, Irene, and Ren. Derek, you're driving with Amy, Austin, Leyla, and Walter. All right, everyone, let's go," Arya announced.

"Awesome, I get to ride with all girls," Shiloh grumbled.

"Oh, stop whining," she snapped airily. The group headed downstairs to the underground garage where four black Range Rovers were waiting. They got in with their designated groups. Ren listened as Dmitri and Rigg bantered back and forth. It took an hour and a half to get to their desired location, even with traffic, which surprised everyone. Once parked, they headed towards the doors.

"So what exactly is this for?" Ren questioned, walking next to Ray.

"It's for successful business owners. Arya's the youngest. The others are arrogant old people. You'll see what I mean when we get in there. They bring their family and close friends so it's a huge event."

"Anyone I need to watch out for?"

"Not that I know of. Well, actually, stay away from old man Ken. Guy reeks of onions. I think he got mistaken about garlic warding off vampires, not onions."

Ren laughed. "Thanks for the heads up."

Upon entering the hotel and the room where the event was held, Ren's mouth dropped open. There was a floor for dancing, buffet tables that lined each wall, elegantly decorated tables situated around the room, and a massive glass chandelier hanging in the center. Like Ray had said, most of the people that were business owners were old. The youngest probably was fifty. Not that that's old but compared to the pack, well…

"Ah! Arya Lightwood and her pack! Good to see you!" A man grinned, walking up to her and giving her a hug. Arya returned it reluctantly. Ren didn't know why until the scent of onions hit him, nearly making him gag.

"That would be old man Ken?" Ren whispered to Ray.

"Yeah," Ray replied, sounding like he was holding his breath. Ren didn't blame him.

"So is this the new guy?" Ken inquired, his eyes landing on Ren.

"Yes. This is Renier Laroche, but he prefers Ren," Arya introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you," Ken said.

"Pleasure's all mine," he replied, forcing him not to make a face at the onion stench oozing off the guy.

"Arya!" another guy exclaimed. Ren peered behind Ken to find a guy with shaggy brown hair approaching the alpha female.

"Tony!" Arya replied, giving a smile.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up. You're looking stunning as always. Mind if I take you for a dance?"

"Why not?" she replied. Ren felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. He didn't like this guy. He was hitting on Ren's girl.

_Whoa there. She's not _your _girl. She won't even look at you, let alone speak to you. Get a grip._ Ren's conscience chided. He watched as she went off with this guy named Tony, forcing himself not to growl.

"Hey Ren, why don't you join me, Carrie, and Melinda at the table? We're starving," Shiloh offered. He must've noticed the alpha male's shift in attitude. While Ren wanted to go rip out Tony's throat, he decided against it and followed Shiloh. The group of four took a table near the dance floor. Ren watched as the couples from the pack, save for Arya, danced with their significant other.

"So who's Tony?" Ren queried casually.

"No one you need to worry about. He's the son of one of the guys here: Mr. Goldshaw. He's been infatuated with Arya for years, but she's not at all interested in him. Poor guy, he may be rich, but he's dumb as a rock and sponges off his daddy," Shiloh explained.

"Ren, why don't you find a girl to dance with?" Carrie suggested. "You're obviously not hungry and you obviously want to get Arya's attention."

"I don't think dancing with another girl will cause her to forgive me for my stupidity."

"No, but it will cause her to be jealous, and it's only right that you give her the same treatment she's giving you," she remarked.

He snorted. "Who's side are you on? Mine or hers?"

"I just think you're both being stupid and need to talk. Now come on Shiloh, we're going dancing." Carrie dragged her boyfriend to the dance floor while he complained incessantly that he hadn't eaten and was starving. She ignored him. Their absence left Melinda and Ren alone at the table. To avoid the situation being any more awkward, he asked, "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled. "Sure."

* * *

Throughout the night, Ren actually ended up dancing with a lot of girls. He even danced with some wives whose husbands wouldn't dance with them. But none of them compared to the blonde girl in the black dress with black stilettos. He carefully watched her dance with guys around the room, but Tony kept coming back to dance with her some more. After two hours of watching this happen, Ren stalked outside to get some fresh air. He unbuttoned his suit jacket to get somewhat cooled down. He'd only been out there for a few minutes when an annoying voice came boasting outside.

"She's all over me! That's one fine piece of ass, isn't it? She's still single so that means she won't have any regrets if and when she sleeps with me," Tony declared. His friends laughed. "How could she ever run a business? She's too damn sweet and innocent. Well, let's just say that innocence won't last for long. I'll have the bitch drunk and in my bed pleading for me to take her by the end of the night."

Something inside Ren snapped. "She'd never get in bed with a guy like you."

He felt Tony and the guy's minions staring at him. "What did you say?"

Ren turned to face him. He towered over the guy by at least a foot. "I said she'd never get in bed with a guy like you. Arya has brains unlike you."

"Who the hell do you think you are? I can have security escorting you out in two seconds flat."

"I'm Ren Laroche and I'm the guy you _really_ do not want to piss off. Oh, and if you think your 'security'"-Ren did air quotes with his fingers- "will escort me out, they'll have to go through Arya first."

"Oh, yeah. Renier Laroche. Arya mentioned you. Said some things about you, but not the fact that you were an asshole in love with her. You really think you have a chance with someone like _her_? She's way out of your league idiot. What do you have? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You know what I have? Five houses, one in Denver, one in London, one in Malibu, one in Hawaii, and one in Mexico. I'm going to inherit a multi-million dollar company. You tell me who she would choose: the nobody or the somebody? You are _nothing_ to her. She told me herself. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go spike her drink. She's going home with me tonight." Tony started to walk off, but Ren called out his name. The arrogant guy turned around to be met with Ren's fist. Tony would've fallen to the ground had his friends not caught him. When he stood up, he lunged at Ren. The alpha male dodged easily out of the way, whirling around and pinning Tony to the wall. They'd gathered a crowd of onlookers but he didn't care.

"I swear to god, if you speak to her or look at her again tonight, I will rip you to shreds. You say she's out of my league? Well I'm damn well closer than you are. You think she wants some egotistical maniac as her boyfriend? Think again." Ren pushed himself away from Tony. He started to walk off but Tony said, "You're going to regret that."

Ren rolled his eyes when a foot connected to his spine. He involuntarily let out a small howl. He sprang onto his feet as fast as he could though. Vaguely, in his peripheral vision, he saw some of his pack members shoving through the crowd. Tony threw a punch at Ren, but Ren intercepted it with his left hand, twisting around so that Tony pressed into his back. He flipped the arrogant S.O.B. over his shoulder, causing the guy to crash into the concrete ground. Ren pinned him to the floor, raising his fist to punch Tony when someone grabbed him. He struggled ferociously to get out of the grip but to no avail. Tony stood up punched Ren square in the jaw. His vision went blurry and pain seared through his head; however that pain didn't even compare to the pain that exploded from his stomach. Ren fell to the ground, withering in agony. His stitches had been opened from the kick Tony had landed on him. He staggered up, putting a hand to his stomach to keep pressure on it. The people surrounding the group of fighters stared in horror as Shiloh, Dmitri, Rigg, Carrie, Irene, Melinda, and Arya came bursting onto the scene. Dmitri and Rigg grabbed onto Ren's arms to support him. He was grateful for it. Arya let out a snarl aimed for Tony. He backed away from her.

"Arya- I didn't mean- he just started bleeding- I didn't do it," Tony started.

She gave him a murderous glare. "You son of a bitch." Arya shoved him. He stumbled backwards. She continued doing this until he was once again pinned to the wall. Only because of Ren's heightened hearing could he make out what Arya said. "I swear to god, if you touch him again, I will rip you damn throat out. Stay away from me, from him, and anyone else in my pack. Got it?" Tony stuttered out a yes. Facing the part of her pack that was with her, she declared, "We're leaving. Shiloh, Carrie, Melinda, go round everyone else up. Dmitri, Rigg, Ren, and I will meet you in the car garage."

The three scampered into the room just as a furious, red-faced man, who seriously resembled an angered tomato, strode outside. "What just happened? Why did this man attack my son?"

So it was Tony's father. "I'm not sure," Arya answered calmly. "All I know is your son caused my friend to bleed."

"He did no such thing. This… this juvenile attacked my son unprovoked!" Tony's father raged.

"He was talking shit about Arya," Ren growled. "Teach your son to respect woman and then maybe I'll refrain from attacking him." He spat blood out of his mouth at Mr. Goldshaw.

"Don't speak to me you filthy animal. I'll have you arrested for this!"

"I dare you," Arya said threateningly.

"Don't speak to me like that. You're inferior to all of us! You're young and ignorant. Shut up and let the men handle this."

This time, Arya snapped. "Okay listen asshole. First off, I may not look like it, but I could take you on in a fight and win any day. Second, you call me inferior? Oh right, I'm the one who owns the hotel _you _were trying to buy. Third, I might be young, but I'm not ignorant. You're the ignorant one for treating women as your inferiors. It's no wonder why your wife left you. You're a patriarchal bastard."

Mr. Goldshaw lunged at Arya but reeled back when the open palm of her hand connected to his cheek with a sickening sound. She breathed heavily, calming herself before she changed into her wolf form. Ren could see her wolf form slithering around, aching to come out. With perfect timing, the rest of the pack appeared along with security and the host of the party. He turned to Arya who said, "The Goldshaws caused the fight. They've injured my friend. We're leaving."

With that, the Lightwood pack took their leave. Ren vaguely heard the host shouting at Mr. Goldshaw and Tony. He smiled slightly with satisfaction. His satisfaction disappeared as a wave a pain resonated through his body, deriving from his stomach. His world went black before he could even say anything.

Ren went in and out of consciousness on his way back to what he guessed was the compound. His head was in someone's lap. One hand cupped his face while another stroked his hair, sending him back into sleep. At one point, he was given blood. It didn't help him wake up, but it lessened the pain he was experiencing.

He fully awoke in his bed; it was pitch black since the blinds were closed and the moonlight weak. How late was it? How long had he been out? Why did he have to keep getting injured and passing out like some weak warrior?

Then he realized something.

He was shirtless with the duvet cover only coming up to his hips, meaning half the skin on his body was exposed. That made him uncomfortable. He reached for the duvet in attempt to cover himself up, stopping in his tracks at the sound of a smooth, familiar, soft voice.

"You're up," Arya breathed. "Thank god."

"I- what are you doing here?" Ren asked, searching for her. His hand connected with hers. He felt her tense.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I get it though, you not wanting to be around me. I'll go get someone else to take care of you." Ren felt her getting up. He gripped onto her hand.

"No," he said. "I want you."

He felt her hesitation; a few seconds later, she sat back down on the side of his bed.

"Let me turn the light on so I can assess your wound," she whispered. A lamp showered Ren's room in a dim light. Her hazel eyes stared at his stomach, making him rather self-conscious. "You're healing. You should be fine in the morning. I'll uh… pack your things if you need me to."

"Pack my things? What are you talking about?" Ren queried, struggling to sit up. Arya tried to stop him but he wouldn't let her.

"You said so on the way here that you couldn't stay."

"Arya, I wasn't in my right mind. Whatever I said, I probably didn't mean it. Like what I said about I can't stay here, I didn't mean that."

A faint flicker of hope sparked up in her eyes. "You're staying?" She questioned warily.

"Yes, but I want you to know a few things. About why I didn't want to."

Arya bit her lip. Ren wanted to stop her. He didn't like causing her anguish. "Listen, if you're not ready for a relationship, or you simply don't want to date me, I get it. I won't force you."

"No! It's not that! I _do_ want to be with you it's just that… well, it scares me," Ren admitted.

"What scares you?"

"You do, or at least my feelings do for you," he confessed, putting his face in his hands. "I've only ever loved one girl, and she turned her back on me. I didn't know what it was like to love someone, _truly_ love someone, until I met you. I didn't understand what I was feeling at first. I thought I was attracted to you only in the way I was with the girls I fooled around with. But then I realized those weren't the feelings after Ansel found me. He asked me if I loved you, and I said yes without any hesitation. I scared myself, and I didn't know what was happening to me. I didn't know what these feelings were going to cause me to do so rather than possibly hurting you, I decided to leave, which I think only caused you more pain than if I had stayed. God Arya… the things you make me feel. I wanted to kill Tony tonight. I wanted to so badly."

"What was he saying about me?" Arya responded quietly.

"All sorts of shitty stuff, saying he was going to have the 'bitch drunk and in his bed by the end of the night.' I'm sorry, something inside me snapped. I couldn't help it. By the way, that dress you were wearing didn't help my feelings for you. It made me seriously want to… make out… with… you…" Ren trailed off as he glanced at the black material she still wore. The dress rose up on her thighs, showing a fair amount of leg. He blushed, taking away his gaze from her skin and back to the duvet cover.

"I should've killed him," Arya muttered.

"I'm sorry, Arya. I never meant to hurt you."

"Don't be sorry, Ren. And for the record, you in that suit had me thinking the same exact thoughts you had seeing me in my dress."

At this, Ren looked up. Her hazel eyes bore into his blue ones. They showed her conflicted emotions; she was elated, dubious, and mischievous all at the same time. His hand involuntarily lifted up to her face, his thumb softly brushing over her cheek.

"I love you, Arya," he whispered.

"I- oh screw it," she murmured before crashing her lips onto his. Ren let out a groan as he let one hand cup the back of her head and one hand rest on her waist where the cutouts in her dress were. Arya let out a whimper when Ren deepened the kiss. Her hands wove through his hair. He pulled her closer to him before rolling over on top of her. He broke off the kiss temporarily to gain back his breath which she had so easily taken away.

"I love you Ren," she said, giving him a dainty kiss.

"I never want to leave you Arya. I'm staying."

"I thought so," she chuckled. In a serious tone, she added, "You're afraid to love another girl, to love _me_. I'm going to show you that you don't have to be."

He leaned in next to her ear. "You already are, sweetheart."

She shivered as he looked down at her. Arya wore a smirk. "Show me what you got alpha."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Review please :)**


	9. Orange Rose

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POPPY'S RESTAURANT. I JUST GO THERE WHENEVER I GO TO ESTES BECAUSE IT'S DELICIOUS!**

**Anyways, read on!**

**Quote of the Chapter:  
**"**Whoa, Hurricane Naomi strikes, leaving no survivors."  
****~Ansel from **_**Nightshade**_

* * *

Chapter 9: Orange Rose

**Ren**

**Six months later…**

Ren and Arya strolled leisurely in downtown Estes Park while the rest of the pack waited for them at Poppy's. Their hands were intertwined together as they passed the tourists.

"I remember the first time you showed me around town and we were in wolf form and we scared the crap out of tourists," Ren whispered. Arya giggled.

"That was awesome. I do believe we need to do that again," She mused.

"I'm inclined to agree with you. How about… later today. _All_ of us," he suggested. With a grin, she agreed wholeheartedly. Ren smiled as they fell silent. His thoughts went to the night they had finally become boyfriend and girlfriend. He'd been in pain from his fight with Tony but having Arya next to him (and underneath him at times), he'd been completely fine. They'd had a long make-out session until she had pinned him underneath her, claiming he needed rest so he could heal and that she wanted to change clothes. He protested against her changing because he liked her in the dress. Arya didn't listen. Giving him a final kiss on the cheek, she jumped off the bed and went to her room. She was gone for ten minutes. When she came back, she wore sweatpants along with tank top. Arya crawled into bed next to him. They fell asleep together. When Ren woke up, her head was on his chest and she was silently breathing; her arm stretched out protectively across her chest.

"Ren!" Arya's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking about when we started dating," he replied with a brilliant grin.

"That was an amazing night, wasn't it? Well, besides the fact that you were shot and almost died on me and then got in a fight," Arya said with a grimace.

"It was a bit of a damper on the day," he joked.

"A _bit_? I almost lost you! Twice!" she exclaimed vehemently.

"Calm down, sweetie," he consoled. "I'm not leaving you again."

She gave Ren a half smirk while looking at him from the corner of her eyes. He squeezed her hand reassuringly as they walked up to Poppy's.

"Arya! Ren!" Holly, one of the waitresses, greeted them. "You're pack is waiting for you inside. I don't think you can miss them."

"I would be worried if we did," Ren joked. The couple walked inside and their pack took up the whole middle section of the restaurant. They greeted the alphas with a smile, wave, and a cheerful 'hello.'

"Sorry it took so long," Arya apologized when she and Ren sat down.

"What were you two up to?" Carrie asked with a mischievous smirk. She and Shiloh were shoulder to shoulder, sitting as close to each other as physically possible.

"Nothing that you're thinking of!" Arya retorted airily. Carrie grinned before asking, "So what do y'all want to do afterwards?"

"I was thinking we could go into the park, romp around a little, put on a show for tourists," Arya replied.

"That sounds awesome. If they only knew who we were. I do believe we would give some heart attacks," Shiloh mused.

"I plan on never doing such a thing," Arya said with a chuckle. The appetizers came out which everyone had gotten the jalapeno poppers. There was a plate for every two people. Whilst they were eating, someone's phone start ringing, or more like singing 'Hungry Like A Wolf.' Ren snorted as his girlfriend pulled out her phone, commented, "Oh the irony."

"Shut up," she laughed, giving him a slight shove. "I'll be right back. I need to take this."

She got up, excusing herself from the table. Ren watched her go, wondering who she was talking to. Arya would tell him though.

"If you want to know, it's probably her parents," Ray informed, shoveling three jalapeno poppers into his mouth.

"Uh, do they know about me?" Ren queried worriedly.

"They do now…" Arya admitted sheepishly.

"You never told them about me?"

"I have. I just never told them we were dating…"

"Why not?"

"You haven't met her dad," Shiloh remarked. "Dude is scary as hell. He could kick Bruce Willis and Chuck Norris's ass with his hands tied behind back while blindfolded."

'Thank you Shiloh," Arya grumbled. "Guys, change of plans. Um, we need to do a really quick spring clean when we get back."

"Why?" Carrie scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"My parents are coming to town. Along with their pack meaning Shiloh, Carrie, and Ray's parents are coming."

"I'm not sure who's scarier, Arya or Shiloh's dad," Dmitri joked humorlessly.

"Lovely, two guys who are going to hate me," Ren groaned. Arya's dad would hate Ren for dating his daughter, and Ren had no doubt that Shiloh's dad knew about Shiloh's temporary feelings for Arya and would most likely think Ren stole her away from Shiloh.

"Hey, just be your charming self and my dad will love you," Arya promised, giving him a kiss on the cheek. The group tried to finish their meal as quickly as they could. Arya ordered Shiloh and Carrie to take half the group to the store while the other half went back to the Compound to do a quick yet thorough cleaning. For the most part, the Compound was relatively clean. Only Dmitri, MJ, Rigg, and Derek had seriously filthy rooms. After two hours of cleaning their house, Ren and Arya plopped down on the couch together. Arya sat between his legs with her back pressed up against his chest.

"So did you tell your dad we were dating on the phone or are you going to tell him when he gets here?" Ren queried.

"I'm telling him when he gets here. It'll be easier. And then my mom can keep him in check," Arya chuckled.

"What is his pet peeve? What shouldn't I do when he's around? I just want to make a good impression on him."

"Well, let's see. My dad has always been very strict since I'm an only child, so he won't mind if we hold hands or anything but no ostentatious displays of affection. He'd kill both of us. Let's see, we might have to sleep in separate rooms so your scent isn't all over me and he gets the wrong idea about what we're doing."

"Two things: one, he wouldn't be wrong, and two, you might want to take a shower because my scent is completely all over you," Ren pointed out.

"Oh crap!" she exclaimed, jumping up. Arya dashed upstairs. Ren decided to take a shower as well. Her scent was probably all over him. He padded upstairs; he heard Arya scrambling around their room, grabbing a new outfit to wear. He opened the door just as she disappeared into the bathroom. Ren grabbed a new outfit of his own, going to his old bedroom and taking a shower. An image of Mr. Lightwood formed in Ren's mind. He imagined a pure black wolf with eyes the same color. A wolf that was bigger than even Ren or Derek, a feat considering the size of Ren and Derek in their wolf forms. This wolf took crap from no one. This wolf would die for his only daughter without second thoughts, he would kill for his daughter without second thoughts. Mr. Lightwood was not a man to be taken lightly.

Ren stepped out of the shower, drying off with the towel and getting in a nice pair of dark jeans with a button down light blue polo shirt. He ran a hand through his damp hair. It would dry quickly since practically no humidity existed whatsoever in Colorado. Ren went back downstairs to find Shiloh and Carrie waiting in the kitchen.

"I don't even need to ask why you took a shower," Shiloh chuckled.

"Shiloh!" Carrie upbraided. "Sorry Ren."

"Will your parents be okay with Carrie's scent all over you?" Ren countered slyly.

"I think I'd rather face my own dad than Arya's. I'm glad you're the one that gets to deal with him," the second chuckled.

"Shut up…"

"You'll be fine. Where's Arya?"

"Where do you think?"

"She needs to hurry. Our parents are almost here. Her dad will be suspicious if she's not down here."

"I'm here, calm down," Arya announced, leaping the last few steps. Ren smiled at her. "Ready?"

"No," Ren admitted, "but I have no choice."

"You have that right," Shiloh commented. He turned his head to face the window at the sound of a car horn. Five cars- a Ferrari, two Corvettes, an Audi A8, and an Alfa Romeo- pulled up into the courtyard. "Ah, they're here."

"Thanks, I couldn't tell," Ren retorted.

"Easy Ren," Arya admonished gently. She grabbed onto his hand, leading him outside. The rest of the pack joined in. Ten people got out. The man who owned the Ferrari obviously was the alpha male of the pack. Ren stiffened. This meant he was also Arya's father.

"Dad!" Arya exclaimed, letting go of Ren and running up to her father. Mr. Lightwood enveloped his daughter in a huge hug. Shiloh, Carrie, and Ray went up to their parents, giving them hugs. The older wolves greeted the other younger wolves as if they were their own.

"Arya, who is this?" Mr. Lightwood asked curiously, staring at Ren. Arya slid over next to Ren.

"Dad, this is Renier Laroche. Ren, this is my father, Jeremy Lightwood," She introduced.

Mr. Lightwood stuck out his hand which Ren shook. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lightwood," Ren greeted sincerely, shaking the alpha male's hand firmly.

"Nice to meet you too, Renier."

"Please, call me Ren."

"All right Ren." Mr. Lightwood's gaze shifted down to where Ren and Arya's hands intertwined with each other. "Ren, is there something you would like to say?"

"Dad, he and I-" his daughter began.

"I didn't ask you, Arya. I asked him. Now, Ren, answer my question."

Ren gulped discreetly but answered, "Sir, I'm dating your daughter."

"How wonderful!" A female voice said cheerfully. A blonde woman appeared next to Mr. Lightwood. She was the older version of Arya.

"Hi mom," Arya told her shyly. "Ren, this is my mom, Vivian Lightwood. Mom, this is Ren Laroche."

"It's a pleasure to meet you dear," Vivian said, giving him a genuinely pleased smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Lightwood," Ren replied, giving her a charming smile.

"Sweetie, we're going to go get unpacked and then we'll decide where we'll have dinner," Mrs. Lightwood decided. Her husband attempted to protest; she gave him a warning glare that clearly said she would not give in. The other pack members greeted Ren in a friendly manner which he returned. Once the pack disappeared into their guest houses, leaving only the Lightwood pack outside, Ren let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Arya, if I'm not here in the morning, it's because your father murdered me in the night," Ren remarked casually.

"That was relatively good if you want to know," Arya told him. "Everyone, go relax until round two of my parents. We'll see you later."

The pack dispersed. Ren and Arya walked into their house, not letting go of each other's hands.

"You weren't kidding about your dad," Ren said.

"I'm sorry. I should've told him before he came," Arya groaned, plopping down on the couch in the living room. Ren sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him. "I don't know why he's so protective of me. I know I'm young, I'm only eighteen, but honestly, I've been running this pack just fine for years now. It's like he doesn't trust me!"

"I think it's me he doesn't trust, Arya, not you. You're his only daughter. Of course he's going to be protective. I just have to make sure I don't let certain feelings for you get me into trouble with him." He gave his girlfriend an impish smile.

"Feelings mutual. Why don't we watch some TV?" she suggested, grabbing the remote on the other side of the couch. The TV turned on, showing Tony DiNozzo from _NCIS_ rolling his eyes at McGee. "Perfect."

Arya rested her head on his shoulder. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Ren placed his head on top of hers, allowing his eyes to slowly drift to sleep.

* * *

**Mr. Lightwood**

"Honestly Jeremy, I think Renier is a fine boy," Vivian said, unpacking her suitcase.

"He's too perfect," Jeremy muttered, pacing the floor.

His wife rolled her eyes. "You don't like him because he's too perfect? Honestly, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, and you've said a lot of stupid things."

"I don't want to see my daughter get hurt! That boy will get what he wants from her and leave. I don't think he even knows what she _is_, what her pack_ is_."

"Whether he does or not, it's not your place to bring it up," Vivian warned. "Now finish unpacking so we can get dinner early."

"Do you like him?"

"I think it's obvious Arya loves him, and if I'm not mistaken, I think he's wrapped around her finger," Vivian claimed, stuffing her suitcase into the closet and shutting it. She turned to face her husband with her hands on her hips. "I haven't seen Arya this happy in ages. Do not ruin this by running off her boyfriend by telling him things he may or may not know. If Arya hasn't told him anything, she has a valid reason behind it. Let's go talk to them. Why don't you have a boys' night out with him and the others? Interrogate him then. And Jeremy, don't you think if he was faking loving Arya, her pack mates would've realized by now? Just food for thought."

Vivian walked out of the room, with her husband trailing behind muttering to himself about how he hated it when she had a point. The couple went to Arya's house and opened the door. No one greeted them.

"I swear, if he's up in her room…" Jeremy growled.

"Oh hush," Vivian scolded. She peered into the living room; he did so as well. The sight of Arya asleep, wrapped protectively by a sleeping Ren's arms, made Vivian smile; her husband stared daggers at the boy.

"He needs to get off of her," Jeremy mumbled.

"Oh I feel bad if I wake them up," his wife mused. "Jeremy, go wait in the kitchen. I'll wake them up."

He didn't ask why, he simply did as he was told. He didn't want to see his daughter look up with loving eyes at the Laroche alpha. If she only knew the truth…

* * *

**Arya**

Someone shook Arya's arm gently, trying to get her to wake. She didn't want to. She liked being curled up in Ren's arms. Besides, getting up meant she had to face her over protective father.

"Arya, sweetie, get up," her mother cooed. Well, at least it wasn't Mr. Lightwood.

"I'm up," Arya said, opening her eyes.

"Good. Wake your Prince Charming and talk to your father and I in the kitchen about dinner, okay?" Mrs. Lightwood ordered gently. Arya nodded, sitting up. Ren shifted, unconsciously tightening his grip on her trying to get her to stay. Once her mother had left, Arya smirked to herself, kissing Ren next to his ear before she started a trail of small kisses all the way to lips. He groaned.

"Ren," Arya sang his name softly, kissing him again.

"Arya, stop. You're making me want to do naughty things with you and your dad already wants to kill me," he murmured, opening his eyes. She smiled at him

"Get up and I might," she teased.

"Round two?"

"Round two. Come on sweetie." Arya pulled him up off the couch. He playfully acted like a child, gently tugging in resistance. "Bad boy. You'll need some reprimanding for your behavior."

"Will tonight do?" Ren whispered into her ear.

"We'd have to be quiet. My dad has bionic hearing," she mumbled. The two walked into the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Lightwood sat at the bar, conversing.

"Took you two a long time to get up," Mr. Lightwood observed in an unemotional tone.

"Ren wouldn't wake up," Arya laughed. "He's a deep sleeper. Would y'all like anything to drink?"

"Water for both of us please. So what are we doing for dinner tonight?" Mrs. Lightwood inquired. "I was thinking going into town was best, save you from making so much food."

"Hmm, I'm trying to think of a restaurant that could seat thirty people."

"What if we split up? Boys and girls? Relatively even with that," Mr. Lightwood suggested. "It'll make for some good bonding with Ren here. After all, he's a part of your pack now, meaning he'll need to get along with mine. It's settled. Boys' and girls' night out."

The girls got home before the guys did. Arya bit her lip, anxiety gnawing at her insides. It wasn't because she hated being separated from Ren, it's was because she was separated from Ren while her father was with him.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Mrs. Lightwood assured. Her consoling didn't ease Arya's nerves. Arya would be fine when Ren walked through that door with a smile on his face. The wait wasn't long. Ren and Mr. Lightwood strode into the house; the former smiled brightly, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Hey sweetie," Ren greeted giving Arya a brief kiss.

"Hey, how was dinner?" she asked as innocently as she could, putting on a fake smile.

"It was great. The boys and I had an eating contest with dessert. MJ won. Dude can stuff half an apple cobbler in his mouth at once. It's not normal."

"Well, your father and I should head to bed. We're going out in the morning to the park for some exercise. Would you like to join us?" Mrs. Lightwood offered.

"What time are you leaving?" Arya asked.

"Seven-thirty."

"Geez, why do y'all wake up so early?"

"I'll take that as a no," Mrs. Lightwood chuckled. She gave her daughter a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She gave Ren a hug as well. "We'll see you two tomorrow."

Mr. Lightwood hugged his daughter and shook hands with Ren. When they were gone, Arya turned to face her boyfriend. "How was my dad?"

"Not bad. He was really friendly."

She smiled. "Good. I was worried."

"No need to be. Now, about that reprimanding you were supposed to give me tonight…"

* * *

**Mr. Lightwood**

He stared out his window at Arya's house. The curtains to her living room were open so Mr. Lightwood could see all that was going on in there. Ren pulled Arya into a kiss which she willingly returned, wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss didn't last long. Arya broke it off, walking over to the bookshelf. She pulled something down. Ren came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. They were both smiling.

Ren didn't know. He didn't know Arya's secret. He had asked Shiloh for confirmation. If Ren wanted to be in a relationship with Jeremy Lightwood's daughter, he had to accept her for who she is and what she is.

* * *

**The next day, evening…**

**Arya**

"Hey Ar, Walt caught a strange scent earlier. The guys and I are going to go check it out," Ren announced.

"Be careful. Do you want me to come?" she queried.

"No, you stay here and catch up with your mom. You two haven't seen each other in a while." He kissed the top of Arya's head. "I'll be back later."

She nodded continuing to converse with her mom about pack relationships and couples and all that had gone on in the past couple of months. Mrs. Lightwood seemed elated about Arya and Ren's relationship. Unlike Mr. Lightwood, she seemed genuinely thrilled for her daughter to have found such "a wonderful young man."

Two hours had passed, meaning it was now eleven o'clock. The boys just got back. When Ren entered the door, he looked upset, not sad, but angry.

"Arya, I'm going to bed. I'll see you upstairs," he said stoically, not even looking at her. She narrowed her eyes after him, wondering what had gotten into him. The answer came to her quickly when her dad entered the living room.

"Dad, what the hell did you tell him?" Arya demanded, standing up.

"You never told him your secret. For him to be in a relationship with my daughter, he has to know everything about her. Why did you hide it from him Arya?"

"It wasn't your place to tell him! I was going to at the right time. It's not something you exactly bring up into conversation."

"That didn't answer my question directly. Do you not trust him? Is that it?" Her father remained frighteningly calm.

Arya, on the other hand, didn't. "I do trust him. I just didn't know how to tell him. How could you do this dad? How could you do that to _me_? To _him_? What do you have against Ren? He's been nothing but good to me!"

"I know boys like him. He has one thing on his mind. He'll get what he wants from you and leave. I don't want him breaking your heart," Mr. Lightwood argued.

"Ren took a bullet for me! Literally! He nearly died from it! He nearly killed a guy who said a lot of shit about me. And you know what, who's to say we haven't had sex already?" Arya growled. Her parents' eyes bulged out of their heads at the announcement. "I'm eighteen. I'm young, I get that. But legally, I'm an adult, and I can do what I want with who I want. I choose Ren. You can accept it or not. But now I have to go fix my broken relationship. Thanks a lot dad."

As she stormed up the stairs, she heard her mom say to her dad, "I have never been more ashamed of you Jeremy."

Arya found Ren changing into his pajamas. He looked up at her when she entered.

"Ren, what all did my dad say?" she prodded hesitantly. His livid gaze did not help her nerves.

"When were you going to tell me? When were you going to tell me that you and your pack could change coats? Or did it just slip your mind?" he asked with an eerie calmness.

"I was going to tell you, I swear. I didn't know when. I didn't know how. It's not something you bring into conversation easily."

"Yeah, sure you were. I'll be up later. I have to make a phone call," he said. She tried to grab him, to get him to stay, but he brushed roughly past her. Arya slumped down onto her bed, shaking with anger and disbelief. How could Ren forgive her for this? Six months she'd hid the fact she and her pack could change their coat colors at will. The problem with the secret didn't have to do with the actual coat changing ability, it was the past that came with it.

"What have I done?" Arya sobbed softly.

* * *

**Ren**

The TV played silently while Ren lay on the couch, staring at the glittering diamond in the red velvet box. He had been going to ask her father for permission since he thought Mr. Lightwood approved of him. That wasn't the case. Deep down, Ren knew that Mr. Lightwood telling him Arya's secret was meant to cause them to fight. Ren shouldn't have let it get to him.

But he did.

Now he and Arya weren't speaking. It was their first big fight since the night they'd gotten together.

Someone entered the house. Ren hastily hid the box. "What was that?" Mr. Lightwood's voice inquired. Arya's father leaned against the frame of the door that led to the living room, his brown hairs studying Ren.

"I'm not going to hide anything from you, sir. Here. Catch," Ren said, tossing the box to Mr. Lightwood. He caught it. Ren got up from the couch and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Mr. Lightwood followed him.

"You were going to propose?" he demanded incredulously, quietly.

"Once I had your permission. I already asked the pack. They agreed. Looks like it won't be happening now," Ren mumbled.

"Why?"

He stared at the elder alpha with a bemused, irate expression. "We're not speaking because what you told me caused us to argue. I'm stupid because I _knew_ you weren't going to accept me. I _knew_ you were going to see how much I could handle in interrogating me about your daughter. No offense, but what you pulled, that was low. Arya's crying, I'm miserable, and the whole pack expects us to make the announcement we're engaged tomorrow. You had them fooled too, with your act of actually accepting the fact I was Arya's boyfriend. Kudos to you."

Mr. Lightwood stood still, holding the red velvet box. "If you weren't right, I'd be strangling you. It's… come to my attention I was wrong about you. I'm not sure if you heard my argument with Arya, but I must ask, did you take a bullet for her?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Look at the box in your hand. That should help you figure it out."

"Did you beat up a guy to defend her?"

"Yes, and I'd do it again."

"Have you had sex with her?"

Ren was caught off guard by the question. "I told you I wasn't going to hide anything from you. Yes. We have. We were safe about it. I don't want to be a dad just yet, and I know for a fact Arya doesn't want to be a mom right now. For the record, we waited a few months before doing it."

"I'm glad you're being truthful with me. Did I want my daughter doing it at eighteen, no, but I'm one to talk. I did it earlier than you two." Mr. Lightwood sat down at the dining room table. "I wanted you to know what you were going into dating her. You have my permission Ren. If you have trouble getting her back, let me know. I'll talk to her."

"Thank you. I guess I'll go to bed. She's either asleep, pretending to be, or taking a shower."

"Behave tonight, that's all I ask."

"I heard you have bionic hearing so don't worry, I will."

Mr. Lightwood smiled, handing back the box to the young alpha. "Good night, Ren."

"Goodnight Mr. Lightwood."

After Arya's father left, Ren padded silently upstairs. Entering his room, he saw his girlfriend curled up in a ball, her back facing away from the door. He crawled into bed next her. She didn't stir, not even when he shook her. Anger shot through Ren. What right did she have to be mad at him?

"Fine, I'll talk to you in the morning," he muttered, turning over on his side to go to sleep.

"Ren! Damn it, wake up!" Arya's voice ordered through his dreams. He shot up like a bullet, breathing heavily. He felt her hand leave his arm. "Are you okay?"

"I- my pack. Dax, Neville, Sabine, Cosette…" he trailed off. "They're all gone. They're not coming back. Two are dead, one is loyal to another pack, one gave up her ability to change."

Nightmares of the deaths of the Bane pack haunted Ren regularly. Tonight was the worst attack he'd had. Why tonight was questionable. But all that Ren could think of was the coppery taste of Dax's blood as it filled his mouth from him snapping his second's neck in half, instantly causing him to die.

"Hey, Ren, look at me, everything's okay," Arya consoled. He wrapped his arms around her, glad to have her next to him, no matter what was happening between them. "If you need to talk, I'm here. I understand what you're going through, okay?"

At this, he looked at her. "No, no you don't. You've always had your pack. You didn't see any of them die right before your eyes. You didn't kill your second. No, you don't understand Arya. No one does." She looked at him emotionlessly before getting up. "Where are you going?"

"Downstairs. You obviously need time on your own." She left, not giving him time to protest. Ren fell back onto his pillow, banging his head. He couldn't do anything right at the moment. Instead of following her and risking messing up more, Ren stared at the ceiling for ages, playing scenarios in his head that could possibly help salvage relationship. After about an hour of this, he went downstairs. His girlfriend was nowhere to be found. Ren ran to the front door. The lock, which he had bolted shut after Mr. Lightwood left, was now unlocked.

Arya had snuck out this way.

How had he not heard her? Shifting to wolf form, with his nose to the ground, Ren followed her sweet scent deep into the woods, through an open field, back into a forest, past a giant boulder, past a pond, and to a secluded spot hidden covered by a bunch of big trees. If Ren wasn't part wolf, he easily would've passed it. He went back to being human, peering between the trees into a small clearing. Arya sat there, holding a metal box.

"More secrets?" Ren asked calmly.

Arya jumped. "You know nothing Ren."

"Then tell me. I'm all ears." He sat down on the ground next to her.

"I wasn't lying when I told you I understood what you were going through about losing a pack." She handed him a group photo of ten people: five girls, five guys. In the middle of it stood a young blonde girl, about ten years old: Arya; she beamed at the camera. Next to her stood a boy with black hair and green eyes; he looked the same age as her. In fact, they all looked the same age. There were two brunette girls next to Arya and the strange boy. Two guys with blonde hair, who appeared to be twins, grinned at the camera. The other two girls had black hair: one down to her back, the other a pixie cut. The final two guys, one had brown hair, the other black, stood behind Arya and the boy next to her, mustering serious faces.

"Who are they?" Ren asked.

"My old pack."

* * *

**Dun dun dun. Hope you guys enjoyed! Another long chapter :) Please review!**


	10. Red Rose

**Hope y'all enjoy!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**You're a freak for not being terrified of me."  
****~Calla from **_**Nightshade**_

Chapter 10: Red Rose

"Your… what?" Ren demanded in shock, eyes flitting between Arya and the picture he held. He thought some of the people in it were younger versions of some of her pack now. The two guys that were most likely brothers resembled Dmitri and Rigg.

"My pack now… they haven't always been my pack," Arya said quietly, not looking at Ren. "I was ten when they died. In fact, that picture was taken a week before everything spiraled out of control." She scooted next to him so she could point to the people. "That's me. My dad told us we were going out of town soon, for a break, so I was ecstatic. The boy next to me is Loren Hess. He was a few months older than me. He was my second. The two boys right there, the blondes, they were brothers: Dean and Sam Fray. And then, that girl standing next to Loren is Casey Gray. She was my best friend. The girl with the pixie cut is Tracy Stein. Feistiest girl in my group next to me. Not very level-headed though… The other girl with black hair is Reyna. She was the fashionista of the group. If she were still here today, she would not approve of my wardrobe. She would claim I had too many pairs of jeans and not enough skirts. The second guy with black hair is Jake Johnson. The guy with brown hair is Tony Parker. That was the pack I was supposed to lead. I didn't know it, but the 'vacation' my dad talked about was actually us being rescued by the Searchers and going to the Academy. The Keepers somehow found out. They took all of us. Lumine tortured me with wraiths for-" Arya fell silent, counting something on her fingers, "two months. In that two months, I watched each of my pack mates die." Her voice was just above a whisper. Ren could barely hear her. "I couldn't do jack about it either. I screamed for them. I screamed at the Keepers to stop. I screamed at them to kill me too. But no. That was my punishment. That was my parents' punishment. I had to watch my pack die, and my parents had to watch their daughter go through agony and learn that not only was I being tortured, but _genetically altered_; the Keepers messed with magic to get me to change coat colors. Their experiments caused as much pain as the wraiths. One day they got it to work. They ordered me to change my coat color and I was so out of it, I just did as I was told. How the Searchers found us, they never said, but I remember people breaking me free, carrying me in their arms, and me sobbing for my lost friends. They brought me and my family to the Academy. I had my own room. Everyone tried to get me to come out, but nothing worked. I was depressed. My parents threw themselves into rescuing other Guardians. You wonder how my parents' pack came to be? Well they rescued Shiloh, Carrie, and Ray's parents along with the kids. From what I was told, Shiloh, Carrie, and Ray met the other members of our pack when they got to the Academy. Apparently, except for me, the others had been there for years. The process to genetically alter us was different for each wolf. Some of their Keepers were really good at figuring out the spell, others, like Lumine, sucked. But, because of our shared experience, we bonded instantly. I was the last person to meet everyone. I hadn't even known there were other wolves besides my family there. Shiloh found me. He convinced me to as least meet the people. I reluctantly agreed. We all ended up grouping together. We were inseparable. When I was… sixteen, the Searcher's moved us here. No Keepers controlled this territory. The people had burned the last one that came in. About seven people died in doing so. Keepers tended to avoid the area after that. The Searchers thought it safest for us to be here, so we did; they kept a Weaver with us at all times until the war ended though so in case we had to make a quick getaway. The townspeople were about to burn us out of our houses, because some figured out what we were, until mountain lions started terrorizing the town. It's the same one that hurt Shiloh. We'd been walking downtown. I noticed a little boy had lost his parents so I ordered my pack to keep going. I had been asking what his parents looked like when a growl sounded behind us. I turned around and two of the three mountain lions were there. My pack had caught the cats' scent and came running back in wolf form. I got the boy out of there while my pack got rid of the cats. The townspeople who knew about us accepted us. They know we're not here to hurt them. But that's my story. My pack now is the pack I would die. They're my family, just like my old pack was. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I got scared. We'd already been through a bunch of crap and with past experiences of telling others what we are, meaning we can change coats, I panicked. I thought you'd think the same as them and leave. I didn't want to risk it."

"What did people call you?" Ren asked.

"Mutants, abominations, genetic freaks, and those are the nice names. I won't go into the more colorful ones."

"You're not any of those," he promised, continuing to stare at the picture.

"Those are the only two secrets I've been hiding from you, I swear."

"Who was supposed to be your mate?" He looked up at Arya. Her cheeks flushed.

"I didn't have a designated one… everyone simply assumed Loren and I would get together." She shrugged, as if she didn't know what to think of it.

"Did you… love him?"

"At the time, I hardly knew what love was, so I guess I thought I did but now…"

"Now?"

"I realize I loved him as a friend. I'm older, wiser, and smarter. I know what love is now."

"_Nunc scio quid sit amor_," Ren murmured.

"What?" Arya looked at him curiously.

"Nothing. Something you said reminded me of a Latin phrase. You say you know what love is now. What do you mean?" he inquired, trying to change the subject.

"I've met a lot of people in my life. Hell, I've dated a few guys in town. But… when I tell someone I love them, I don't mean it as just affection. I don't love people easily because in my experience, people come and go all the time. I don't want to get attached to someone and have them leave. So when I tell a person I love them, it means I would die for them. I've only ever told that to my pack, my parents, and you. I love my pack and my parents as family because that's what they are. But you're a different type of love. You're not family, but you're someone I want to be family."

"You mean marriage?" Ren's stomach flip-flopped. Had she thought about it just as much as he had?

Arya blushed. "Maybe that's what love is. When one person loves another person so much, and they're not family, but they desperately want to be? I don't know. But I know I love you, and I would die for you in a heartbeat. I've kept stuff from you, I have a crazy overprotective father, I'm a mutant; if you don't stay, I won't blame you. Hell, I probably would."

"No, I'm staying. And never let me hear you call yourself a mutant again. You're not. You're just… different. And sometimes different is better. Yes, your father is overprotective, but that can easily be dealt with. In fact, I already have. He and I talked earlier. He apologized to me… after I gave him a bit of a mouthful about what he caused between us. You kept stuff from me, yes I was angry, but you've explained it now, you've explained why you kept it, and I understand. I am _not_ leaving you Arya. Get that through your head. I love you so much," he said sincerely. She smiled.

"I know. Let's go back to bed. It's cold out here," Arya insisted.

"I can warm you up," Ren told her impishly, which earned him a kiss on the cheek.

"Then let's hurry home." Arya put the pictures of her old pack back in the metal container and buried it back in the ground. The two shifted into wolves and ran back to the Compound.

* * *

**The next night…**

"Hurry up! She'll be back any minute!" Ren urged the girls.

"Ren, you don't need to panic. Arya's parents will keep her busy for a while," Carrie insisted. "Go get dressed."

Ren listened, tripping over himself to get to the closet. That earned a laugh from the girls. While he put on dark pant suits and a dark blue button down shirt, Ren heard Leyla and Katrina shouting they were going to take pictures of their handiwork. He smiled. Soon, he was going to be a part of this pack officially.

* * *

**Arya**

Four wolves ran out in front of her car as she drove up her driveway to their garage. She honked her horn angrily at it. The wolf transformed into four grinning boys; sticking her head out of the window, she yelled, "Shiloh McKay, Michael Jackson, Frank West, Walter Mendel, I could've killed you all just now!"

"But you didn't love! See you at home!" Shiloh countered. They shifted back and ran into the woods.

"I'm going to kill them," Arya muttered. Her parents sat smirking at the Lightwood pack's antics. She continued driving up to the driveway with no more wolf incidents. They got out, taking the elevator up to the Compound. Everyone, save for Ren , was outside, messing around or talking.

"Oh! Arya! Can you come here for a minute? I have a sundress that doesn't fit me so I wanted to see if you wanted it," Taki said. "It'll be really fast I promise."

Arya wanted to go up to her room and drop off her purse but knowing her friend, Taki wouldn't be patient. She agreed and went up to her pack mate's room where a strapless, white sundress lay on her bed. There were blue embroidered flowers on the bottom. It was beautiful.

"Here, try it!" Taki insisted, nearly shoving it into Arya's hands. She went into the bathroom and switched into it. Miraculously, it was a perfect fit.

"Well let me see it!" Taki yelled. Arya walked out of the bathroom, smiling. "Oh. My. God. You look incredible! You_ have_ to go show Ren!"

"Okay, okay, geez, Taki, what's gotten into you?" Arya laughed as her friend pushed her out of the room. She walked outside where a few of her male pack mates wolf whistled at her, to which she promptly rolled her eyes at.

"Ren?" Arya called out. If he was in the house, he didn't respond. She jogged up the stairs. Candles lined the hallway. The smell emanating from them was delicious. She didn't know what the flavor was but it didn't matter. She entered her room. The place itself was spotlessly clean. Candles, different sizes were placed about the room. On the bed lay multiple roses, all different colors. A picture was attached to each of them. Some were hand-drawn by an amazing artist, others were actual photos.

The first eerily resembled Arya and Ren's first meeting; it was hand-drawn of the two sitting across from each other in the exact positions they'd been, the exact same clothes. A yellow rose was attached to it.

The second rose, or roses, were light pink, medium pink, and dark pink. With it was another hand-drawn picture of the first breakfast the pack had had with Ren. The artist, whoever they were, made Arya laugh because while everyone else looked happy, Shiloh looked extremely pissed.

The third rose was orange. The picture, now an actual photo, showed Arya in a dress she had tried on at the mall when they'd gone shopping for clothes for Ren. It also showed Ren's appreciative face of getting to see her in the dress.

The fourth rose, a yellow one tipped with red, was paired with an actual photo of Ren and Arya bounding through Estes Park in wolf form. Their tongues lolled out of their mouths. They were smiling, even if they were wolves.

The fifth rose was lavender. It had another hand-drawn picture of Arya and Ren in front of Ansel, holding hands with snow swirling around them.

The sixth rose was a creamy white, and the photo showed Arya being carried bridal style by Ren. They'd been up in the park at Bear Lake. The place had still been closed to visitors, so they group frolicked in and out of the water.

The seventh rose was red. The photo was of Ren and Arya kissing under the mistletoe during Christmas.

But what did all this mean? Her answer came to her when the smell of leather and sandalwood drifted from behind her. Arms wrapped around her waist, a head rested on her shoulder.

"A yellow rose means joy or gladness. With the picture attached, it means I was glad to have finally met my savior. The pink roses mean appreciation. With the picture, it means I appreciated what you did to incorporate me with the pack. The orange rose means desire. I think the picture speaks for itself. That's when I started wanting you to be my girlfriend. A yellow rose tipped with red means falling in love. The night we ran through the park, I started falling hard for you. A lavender rose means enchantment. Besides Shiloh beating the tar out of me, that was a pretty enchanting night with all the snow and getting to kiss you for the first time. A creamy white rose, also called Bridal White, means happy love. I have never been so happy loving someone before, so I guess the definition of the rose explains everything. And finally, a red rose means I love you. I just liked that picture of us so I put it with the rose. And now, for the finale," Ren began, pulling away. Arya followed him. He pulled out a massive bouquet of red and white roses. Each white rose was intertwined with one red rose. "Do you know what these two colors mean together?"

"What?" Arya queried, looking up at him. Her heart kept trying to pound its way out of her chest. She wouldn't let it.

"It means unity. There are thirty-eight roses here total. Each one represents your pack members agreeing to me being the alpha male of the pack. Now, the significance of the roses intertwined means-"

"Marry me," Arya finished in shock. She'd read up on the meaning of roses before, and for some reason, out of all the things she remember about roses, two intertwined meant 'Marry Me.'

"Well I was going to ask but if you want to ask me, I'll take that too," Ren laughed as he got down on one knee. He pulled out a red velvet box. In it lay what had to be a four carat, princess cut diamond with two smaller diamonds flanking it. "Arya Lightwood, would you marry me?"

She sank onto her knees, her mouth agape. "Are you serious?"

"No, this is all a prank and Ashton Kutcher is about to come bursting out of our closet. Yes I'm being serious," Ren chuckled. A few seconds later, his face started to fall. "Do you… not want to marry me?"

She kissed him, breaking off any other thoughts he was having about her saying no. "Hell no, that's not what I'm saying." She smiled into his kiss. "And Ren Laroche, in answer to your question: yes. Yes, yes, yes, and yes. And yes in any other language you can think of."

Ren grinned in happiness and relief. He took the ring out of the box. Before he slid it onto her ring finger, Arya stopped him after getting a glance of an inscription on the inside of the ring. It said: "_Nunc scio quid sit amor_."

"What's that?" Arya questioned, studying it curiously.

"It's Latin," he answered.

"What does it mean?"

Ren slid the ring onto her finger, covering her hand in his. A radiant smile lit up his face. "Now I know what love is."

* * *

**Please review y'all!**


	11. Complicata Rose

**I'm really moving with this story now haha hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Fear is beside the point when you're faced with the thing you fear."  
**_**~Invisibility**_

* * *

Chapter 11: Complicata Rose

**Neville**

Ren.

That was the first thought to pass through his mind when the smell of sandalwood and leather wafted up his nose. He whirled around. His old alpha was nowhere to be seen. So why had he smelled him? Except for a group of friends walking into the coffee shop, and the patrons already in the shop, Neville remained by himself. Calla and Shay were back at the Compound. Mason was with Bryn and Ansel.

Shaking his head, Neville continued into the coffee shop. It'd been almost a year since Ren disappeared on them. Knowing his old alpha, he had left in pursuit of the mysterious white wolf that had saved him. None of the Nightshade pack knew who the wolf was. It was a girl, which that much had been clear. Calla had tried to convince him to stay, but in all honestly, if Neville had been in Ren's position, he probably would've left too. He wouldn't want to see Mason in love with another guy just like Ren didn't want to see Calla in love with Shay. Neville understood; he just wished his old alpha had at least kept in contact.

Ansel knew something. Neville swore on his life the guy knew something. The younger Tor had left secretly in the middle of the night, only to come back two days later. When the pack asked him where he'd gone, he simply said he needed a break from all the stuff going on. He'd been hit hard by Ren's absence, even though Calla was Ansel's alpha. The pack let it go, knowing Ansel would not say where he'd really been.

"What can I get you sir?" the barista asked.

"Coffee, please," Neville replied. He waited patiently for his drink to arrive; the scent of sandalwood and leather made its presence again. He wasn't mistaken. Ren was here. Neville's heart started pounding. He could see his old alpha again!

The scent became masked by sweetness. He'd smelled it before, just where was the question. One thing he did know, it was from a wolf and a wolf not from this territory. He doubted the wolf came alone, too. After receiving his coffee, Neville pulled out his cell phone, hastily calling Calla.

"Hey Nev, what's up?" his alpha's voice queried sweetly.

"There's a new wolf in town. I'm guessing it's a pack. I'm trying to figure out who it is. I recognized the scent. I don't know where it's from though," Neville explained hurriedly.

"Find them. Be careful. I'll send Mason to find you," Calla ordered. They hung up. Neville lounged outside the coffee shop at the only entrance. That way he could see everyone going in and out. He'd only been waiting around ten minutes when a girl, trailed by five people, walked out of the shop. Sandalwood and leather hit Neville with such a force, a growl nearly ripped out of his throat. He looked over at the group. The girl in front wore a leather jacket. Her hair was in a ponytail, her eyes had hidden bags under them, and she wore black wedge boots with dark skinny jeans tucked into them. The girl had looks that could kill, and hidden behind those looks was her wolf form. Neville could sense it. The others with her were Guardians too. Pack mates.

"Y'all go back to the hotel. I'm going to walk about town," the girl said.

"Be careful. There's another pack here and they're going to figure out we're here sooner or later," one of the guys said. He was buff, had black hair, and brown eyes. He oozed strength and power.

"I know, but like I said earlier, I made a call. They won't be bothering us. Now get going. Do some Christmas shopping or… something," the blonde insisted, shooing them with her hands. "Don't make me kick you in the butt."

"Alright alpha, we're going." The guy kissed the girl on the forehead before he left. The girl watched them leave, sadness flickering over her face for a brief few seconds. She regained her composure, turning around and walking off. Neville got up and followed her. He texted Calla saying: **Following alpha. Four pack members went off. Don't know if there's more.**

He received a message quickly that had two simple words: **We're coming.**

Someone grabbed Neville's arm, making him whirl around. Mason stood there grinning.

"Hey handsome," he greeted, giving his surprise guest a kiss.

"Hey yourself. So, new pack in town?" Mason queried, walking with his boyfriend.

"Yeah. I'm trailing the alpha now. Don't mention this to Calla, but the girl smells like Ren. Really strong. I'm not sure if it's because she's wearing a piece of his clothing or if they're… close with each other, but I _know_ Ren's scent, and she has it on her."

"Calla's going to be pissed if she comes across this girl."

"I know… I was wondering where he went. I think the girl explains it though."

"He found a new lady love," Mason chuckled. "Good for him though. I mean, I love Calla, but she did kind of destroy him by choosing Shay."

"There she is," Neville said, pointing at the blond girl. She'd thrown away her coffee. Now she was on the phone, speaking rapidly to someone. Her eyes constantly flitted around. At one point, the girl made eye contact with Neville and Mason. She smiled sweetly at them. They returned it. A mass of people crowded in front of her; when the group disappeared, she was gone. Mason and Neville dashed down the street to find her. Skidding around the corner, they saw her bolting away towards the woods. They followed.

"Who are we chasing?" Bryn's voice queried next to them.

"The alpha. When did you get here?" Neville asked, pumping his arms back and forth to give him speed.

"Right before you two ran off like the devil was after you. Ansel is with Calla and Shay. They're going to try and cut her off'

The blonde alpha came into view. She was almost to the forest and out of sight of pedestrians when Shay appeared in front of her. The girl used the ice, which covered every surface in the town, to slide past him. It looked painful, her slamming down on the ice, but she appeared to be unfazed as she slid back up and continued running. Calla tore past her boyfriend after the new alpha; Ansel wasn't far behind her. He seemed to be shouting something at her but she ignored him. By now, Neville, Mason, and Bryn had reached Shay. The pack continued the chase. The alpha leapt off a rock, transforming into a wolf in midair. Once the Nightshade pack was hidden by the forest, they did the same. Now they had the upper hand. Unlike this new alpha, they knew the terrain. They also had more numbers: six to one.

"Watch out Nev!" Sabine shouted. Neville turned his head around. Sabine, Adne, Connor, and Ethan came up on snow mobiles, racing up the mountainside.

So make that ten to one.

A howl pierced through the night. It wasn't one familiar to Neville, meaning it came from the new alpha's pack. This worried him. Who knew how big her pack was? The four pack members that had been with her earlier might not have been the entire pack. If she had more than the Nightshade group, they were most likely screwed.

A flicker of movement in Neville's peripheral vision caused him to look to the side. Black figures, about three, wove in between the trees.

_Wraiths_.

Fear boiled in his stomach, threatening to make him sick. But no, he reminded himself. Wraiths had disappeared when Shay shut the rift. They didn't exist anymore. So that meant one other thing: more wolves.

_Her pack is here Calla. I think it's bigger than we thought,_ Neville announced grimly.

_We'll have to be on guard then_. Calla answered. Ethan pulled up alongside the running wolf. She skidded to a halt, jumping to the side and continuing running. Ethan swore colorfully, revving his snow mobile again. Connor laughed at his friend as he passed.

"She's mine!" he hollered.

"Shut it Connor!" Ethan snapped back.

_Damn this girl can run_, Mason muttered to Neville.

_Let's hope it ends soon._

It did.

The group came into a clearing where a mass of wolves came into view. All of them were pure white. Neville counted nineteen. They lost sight of the alpha. The Nightshade pack and their allies skidded to a stop, staring in shock. Wolves on both sides bared their teeth. One wolf calmly walked up to the front. It shifted into human form, revealing the alpha.

Calla and her pack shifted, so did the new pack.

"What did you find?" the alpha asked a pretty Asian girl.

"I don't know if it's his, but it sure smells like it." Arya blocked off the view of what the Asian handed to her. Neville's curiosity was peaking about it.

"You dare trespass on our territory? What's your name?" Calla growled.

The alpha turned around. Whatever her pack mate had given her, she'd already stuffed it in a pocket and out of sight. "The name is Arya Lightwood. You didn't take the time to introduce yourselves. How were we to know someone already controlled this area?"

"Don't give me that crap. You're Guardians. You could smell us."

"True, perhaps we did know you ran this place. But maybe we felt the need to not make ourselves known."

"Why? Trying to usurp my power?"

"Please, I have enough power. I don't want yours."

"What's your business here?" Calla demanded.

"Personal."

"Well you either tell me why you're here or get the hell out of my territory."

"You're not my alpha so stop ordering me what to do."

"You're in _my _territory so you follow _my_ orders, got it?"

"No, actually. I understand where you're coming from but that doesn't mean I'm going to listen. We've been here for three days. We haven't caused trouble. So what's the big issue? Listen, we're not here to take your territory or terrorize you. We have things to do and you're only interfering."

"Yes, well I'm not going to give you the luxury of doing what you want without knowing what you're doing."

"Have any of you seen or heard from Renier Laroche?" Arya inquired, looking each of Calla's pack mates in the eye. They all remained stock still. So she did know Ren…

"Why is he of importance to you?" Calla snapped angrily. Her pack rarely brought up Ren, knowing it to be a sensitive subject for her. For a new girl to come waltzing into Calla's territory, pretty much demanding to know where the missing male alpha was, it didn't settle well with Calla. Her tone implied as much.

Arya glowered. "Okay, you want to be a bitch, well, two can play that game. " Arya lifted up her left hand. A huge diamond on her ring finger glittered in the moonlight. "You want to know why he's important to me? This is why bitch. I'm his fiancée."

"Please, Ren falling in love with a girl like you? Keep dreaming. He doesn't love bitches like you."

"Sorry sweetheart, but he was stuck with you when you two were to be married. He actually chose me. Food for thought." Turning to Ansel, she said gently, "Hey, if you hear anything from him, will you let me know?"

"He will do no such thing and Ansel, you _know_ her?!" Calla questioned furiously.

Ansel looked sheepish. "Uh, I might have found Ren a year ago and they were dating…"

"And you didn't tell me?" his sister nearly screamed.

"He ordered me not to."

"Why the hell would he say that?"

"Maybe because he didn't want to face the girl that broke his heart," Arya suggested. "Yes, I know who are Calla Tor. I know who _all_ of you are."

"If he loves you, then why are you looking for him?" Calla snarled.

At this, Arya's face fell. "He went missing two months ago."

* * *

**And all hell breaks loose. Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	12. New Dawn Rose

**Did I surprise you guys? Better hope Ren is okay :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Just as a fever makes cold feel colder, love can make loneliness feel lonelier."**

* * *

Chapter 12: New Dawn Rose

**Arya**

Shiloh and the pack avoided Arya after their meeting with the Nightshade group. She'd fallen into a foul mood, barely restraining herself from punching something (or someone) on the way back to the hotel. Once back inside her room, Arya slammed her fist onto the bed. She had to get her anger out someway and the rational being she was, she went for the bed so she wouldn't injure herself or damage the hotel.

The Lightwood pack had traveled all over Colorado in search of Ren, with minimal luck. They would receive a lucky break by getting a whiff of his scent or by finding an article of clothing, but otherwise, the alpha remained MIA. Arya began to convince herself that searching for him would end in a futile attempt, that he didn't want to be found, that he didn't want to be with the pack anymore. One thing kept her from believing all this.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. She huffed over to the door, trying to hold back the frustrated tears threatening to spill over. Upon opening the door, she stood in shock. Two of the Nightshade pack shifted uneasily in front of her. "Ansel, Neville, what on earth are you doing here?"

"We want to help find Ren," Neville blurted.

"Thank you, but is that okay with Calla? Does she even know you're here?"

"No, but I wouldn't care if she told us not to. Ren was my-"

"Old alpha, I know," Arya finished, giving Nev a smile. "He told me about you, Mason, Dax, Fey, Cosette, Sabine, Ansel, Bryn, and Shay."

"He did?" Ansel queried.

"After he talked to you on the phone one time, he started explaining who everyone was. He never talked much about you guys, but whenever he did, he always smiled."

"At least he smiled. Before we help, we want to know about his disappearance, if that's okay," Neville said.

"Of course. Come on in," Arya insisted, moving out of the doorway. "Sorry about the mess. I've been… preoccupied." She sheepishly moved stuff off her bed and threw them in her suitcase.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?"

"You know, you're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be," Neville commented.

She smiled. "Pardon my language, but I'm only a bitch to other bitches. And Calla, she was being a bitch."

"Ren's a touchy subject for her. The entire pack avoids talking about him," Ansel confessed, scratching the back of his head. "It's the fact that he just left with no word and never contacted any of us, it irks her."

"He had reason. He had no pack and the girl he loved fell for another guy," Arya remarked.

"He did have a pack! He had me! He had Sabine! And just because Calla chose Shay does not mean she didn't love Ren!" Neville argued furiously.

"You went off with Calla when she came and rescued her pack when you could've stayed with Ren. Cosette and Dax died. Sabine did the same thing as you and then turned human in the end. And when it comes to girls, I don't think Ren likes sharing his woman. I'm just putting it out there. I'm not wanting to argue, especially with people who want to help me find my fiancé. Oh, by the way Neville, I think you and Mason are an adorable couple."

* * *

**Neville**

He blushed at the comment. Not many people came right out and said stuff like that, especially after only knowing him for a few minutes, let alone to a guy who came from her fiancé's ex-flame's pack. While it angered Neville to no end, he knew Arya was right. He'd chosen Calla over Ren. Calla had chosen Shay over Ren. Sabine chose being human over Ren. Dax and Cosette chose the Keepers over Ren.

Ren left with no pack and no life.

And he found a new one. He found a pack needing a male alpha. He found a girl who would die for him. He found a girl who would search the ends of the earth for him, a pack too. Arya trumped Ren's old life. Neville knew why Ren stayed with her. Perhaps a bitterness within his old alpha prevented him from calling, and although Neville got pissed whenever he thought about it, he also felt it hard to blame Ren.

"So what happened?" Ansel queried.

"Ren left on his own accord, but he was accompanied by two others. We were in Denver when it happened, a charity event. "A ghost of a smile appeared on her face. Neville wondered vaguely what occurred at the event. "He'd gone out to get some fresh air. I'd stayed at the table with some of my pack, eating dinner. When Ren didn't come back for twenty minutes, I went looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. The only clue I got was from another member of the event who said he saw Ren go off with two burly guys. They'd apparently been having a heated discussion, but the guy didn't know about what. I got my pack together and we tried to follow his scent, but we lost it at the road, so we figured he'd gotten in a car. We went back to our hotel and… let me ask you this. Do you believe in psychics?"

The question took Neville aback. Why shouldn't he? He'd experienced weirder things. "I guess so."

"My omega, Melinda, she collapsed onto the ground, holding her hands to her head. Naturally we all flipped, but she got over it and told us where Ren was. He was in a black Escalade with two dark-haired men. She didn't know where they were going though. My pack and I changed and drove back to Estes. That's our territory. From there, we worked out what we were supposed to do. Melinda had another vision a day later. She said Ren was in Salida. It's under a four and a half hour drive so we thought we could catch up to him. We asked around about him; turns out he'd left the day before we arrived. Melinda had another vision. This time he was in Wray, which is on the other side of the state, really small town, practically to Nebraska and Kansas. It took almost five hours. We sort of speeded or else it would've taken six hours to get there. We stayed a few days, searching around. His scent was all over the place. Thing was, I smelled another scent. I found it familiar. My pack mates didn't. I decided to ignore it. After five days, Melinda had a vision. She saw Ren fighting security guards. He got injured but escaped. My pack mate had seen the name 'John McConnell Math and Science Center.' Shiloh, my second, looked it up. Ren was in Grand Junction. Another six hour drive. We were alternating driving to get enough sleep. I didn't get much. Stress… anyways, when we got there, we learned from the security guards Ren had fought that he'd skipped town only hours before we'd gotten there. At this point, I wanted to punch a hole in the wall. To make a long story short, we've followed him from Grand Junction to Fort Collins to Durango- which was a hell of a scary drive- to Las Animas to Maybell to Snowmass and finally to here."

"You've been all over the place. Why did it take you two months?" Ansel queried.

"We stayed in some places over a week. At one point, we stayed two weeks. That was Snowmass I think. He stayed there a while. We never crossed paths with him. I found something out, however. Ren was recruiting people. I don't know what for. I don't know who they were either. The townspeople were pretty quiet about it. I think they might be other Guardians he's recruiting. Just why, I don't know. I wish I did…"

"Let's go searching now. That coffee shop I saw you at earlier, I smelled him before you entered. I say we go check it out," Neville offered.

"Is it still open?"

"Should be. They don't close until ten on weeknights."

"Then let's go," Arya said. The three of them left the hotel, walking quickly into town. Thankfully, the hotel was centrally located so it didn't take long to get there. When the trio entered, the barista that had been serving earlier was still there.

"Didn't you three come in earlier?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, we did. Just couldn't stay away from your coffee." Arya ordered a white chocolate mocha. Neville and Ansel ordered plain coffee. "So, this might sound like a strange question but have you seen a tall, black haired guy with really blue eyes?"

The barista thought back. "Come to think of it yes. A couple actually. Why?"

Arya pulled out her phone, sliding through some pictures. She chose one of a close-up of Ren. "Did any of them look like this?"

"Oh yeah! I remember him! Hunk of a man."

"When was he here?" Neville questioned, attempting to hold back the excitement in his voice.

"Just a few hours before you three, actually."

"Is he still here? Do you know?" Arya inquired.

"I think so. He was on the phone after I took his order. Said something about being here for another few days, that he was having trouble getting to the person. Sounded weird but I didn't ask him about it. I could hardly get a word into him with all the girls pining over him."

"Oh really?" Arya replied nonchalantly. For a girl who was really upset about her fiancé missing, and hearing that girls were all over him, Neville thought Arya kept her cool very well.

"Yeah, but he just gave them smiles and told them he was engaged. That made them stop but they were obviously upset. I tried not to laugh at them."

"I would've to be honest. Well, listen, if you see him, here's my number. Give me a call. But whatever you do, don't tell him I'm here, okay?"

"Sure. Is he in trouble or something?" the barista questioned, wiping her hands on a towel.

"To be honest, we don't know. That's what we're trying to find out. Say, did you happen to see which direction he took when he left?"

"I believe he went to the left."

"Thanks for all your help," Arya said sweetly. The three Guardians sat down at a table away from everyone.

"Let's finish our coffee and then head out really quick. I want to check something out," she informed.

"Where?" Ansel responded.

"I want to check out the hotels, see if we smell him in any of them."

"Sounds good. You know, if people were overhearing this conversation, they'd be wondering what the hell is wrong with us," Neville laughed.

"No kidding," Arya snorted. They finished their drinks as fast as they could, although they didn't want to go outside. It was freezing, but they had to. The group walked down the sidewalk slowly, trying to get a whiff of Ren's signature leather and sandalwood scent. Nothing came their way.

"Maybe he's not staying in town. Maybe he's staying with someone," Ansel suggested. "He might be staying with an old professor or something. It'd be worth checking out."

"I'm so desperate I'll do anything," Arya confessed. "I wish we could change into wolves. It'd be so much easier to get around…"

"I feel you. You know, we could change in the forest. It wouldn't be the first time we've roamed around town."

"Let's do it. God let's do it." The three ran as fast as they could to the forest. Arya beat them. She was really light on her feet, able to dodge pedestrians more easily than Neville and Ansel could. They were laughing though, enjoying themselves. It started to snow as they reached the woods.

_SNOW!_ Ansel shouted into Neville's head as his brown wolf from pranced around gleefully.

_Dude, it's too late at night to be shouting._ Neville grumbled back.

_Come on, I smell him!_ Arya insisted, running through the snow. She was heading away from the houses of Vail, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was Ren was near.

_Dashing through the snow, on my four feet as a wolf. _Ansel sang.

_Up the mountain we go, howling all the way!_ Arya joined in.

_Oh my god you two._ Neville chuckled. _You're not even rhyming!_

_My tongue lolls out my mouth_. Ansel continued.

_My tail goes side to side._ Arya added

_What fun it is to howl and pant and run during the night! Ooooooh! _Ansel howling slightly at the last bit.

_You two are nuts_. Neville remarked, but he was laughing.

_Hey, this is the most fun I've had in ages. Thank you Ansel. I-_

Arya skidded to a stop. Neville barely managed to avoid crashing into her. Of course, Ansel still goofing off, failed to see his comrade had stopped and ran into him hard.

_Ow!_ Neville grouched.

_Sorry Nev_. Ansel apologized sheepishly.

_Do you smell that?_ Arya questioned seriously.

_Ren. He's been here, and if I'm correct, only a few minutes before us._ Neville exclaimed, unable to contain the excitement in his voice.

_Neville, call your pack and mine. Howl. Loudly._ Arya commanded. He decided not to disobey her. He lifted his head high and let out a long, loud, low howl. It must've been his longest howl yet. Within a few minutes, his pack responded. They were on the other side of Vail, but their message was clear: they'd be there in a few minutes. Only a couple seconds after the Nightshade pack announced their coming, Arya's pack responded. Neville's pack sounded dangerous, but Arya's pack sounded deadly. He was glad he was on her good side.

As they waited, a single howl echoed throughout the night. Neville picked up multiple emotions in it: love, anguish, pain, longing, and… warning?

"Ren…" Arya whispered. Neville looked over at her. She'd transformed into human form; she leaned heavily against a tree. "Where are you?"

Arya shifted back to wolf form and howled. The message came out crystal clear:_ Please come back._

* * *

**REN IS BACK! Will they find him? How will Calla and her pack react to Neville and Ansel helping Arya and her pack? Please review :)**


	13. River Run Rose

**I can't resist writing a chapter for this :P Okay, to my friend who told me she's been dying for an update (Hi Calla, you know who you are), I'm updating it. Particularly because I just finished **_**Snakeroot**_** and I'm having serious Ren feels. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Oh my gods! My innocence!"  
****~Connor**

* * *

Chapter 13: River Run Rose

**Ren**

He could see them.

Sitting at the top of a ridge, peering behind a rock, he could see them. Arya, Neville, and Ansel. The latter two's presence didn't surprise him. This was their territory. They belonged here. Arya's presence _did_ surprise him. How had she found him? He'd been careful not to let her know where he was. It was for her benefit and safety. She didn't know what he was doing; Arya didn't know he'd disappeared for her.

His thoughts were broken by Neville letting out a massive howl, calling not only his pack, but Arya's as well. Calla's pack responded first. A few seconds later, Arya's pack answered. Ren shivered, and not from the cold. He ached to be with his family again. His new one, that is. He wanted to romp around and play with his pack, he wanted to kiss his fiancée, he wanted to be with them.

But he had a job he had to finish.

A single howl echoed through his head, making him involuntarily whine. Arya was calling out to him, begging him to come back. Ren couldn't stop himself. He answered, trying to convey everything to her, that he missed her, loved her, and that she needed to stay away. He saw Arya shift from wolf to human form and slump down to the ground. Ren didn't need to be next to her to know that she was on the verge of crying if she wasn't already.

Shifting forms himself, Ren hit the rock next to him out of frustration. He just had this one last job to do. Then he could get done with this. His "boss" had told him he'd be able to go back to his pack after doing all the recruiting, but Ren knew better. He knew when people were lying. He knew he'd end up dead.

Ren stalked back down the mountain, away from his pack. He entered the cabin he was staying in. It used to belong to one of his old professors, the one who had started talking about a forbidden author. Ren had never seen the guy again, and no one was living in the guy's house, so Ren made use of it. Unfortunately, Ren wasn't the only one living there.

"She found you," a voice commented. Holding back a growl, Ren turned around to face the person. Lumine smiled at him. "I told you not to underestimate her."

"I didn't. I don't know how she found me. I haven't talked to her since I left. I've done everything you asked me to. I'm about to recruit the last person. After that, I'm done. You give me what we agreed upon, and I go with them."

"I remember, Renier."

"Arya won't find me."

"Don't underestimate her."

"Don't underestimate me."

Lumine raised one of perfectly manicured eyebrows. "We'll see."

* * *

**Shiloh**

As Shiloh and the pack were running to find Arya, he heard his alpha howl. A heartbroken, pleading howl.

Then he heard his other alpha reply. The alpha they'd been searching for. For the first time in the two months they'd been looking, the Lightwood pack knew for a fact that Ren was in the area, and nearby too. Finally they could reach him, even if his howl warned them to stay away. Why Ren wanted the Lightwood pack to stay away, Shiloh didn't know, but he didn't care. He was done watching Arya be miserable. Ren would be found. There was no other option.

"Arya!" Shiloh shouted, skidding to a stop in front of his alpha. She was sitting on the ground, leaning against a giant Ponderosa tree. She looked like she'd been punched in the gut.

"She's been like this ever since he howled," a guy said. Shiloh looked up. From what he remembered, the guy's name was Neville.

"He's here, Shi. He's actually here," Arya murmured.

"Yeah, I know. And we're going to find him, okay?" he assured.

"He doesn't want to be found."

"He doesn't have a choice." She looked up at him, a small smile on her lips.

"What the hell is going on here?" Calla demanded. The Nightshade pack, along with four other people, had arrived. Mason had gone up to Neville and taken his hand. Sabine appeared ashen.

"Ren is here, and we need to find him," Ansel said boldly.

"What the hell are you doing with them? Both of you, I want an answer!" Calla ordered.

"He's my old alpha. I want to find him and since Arya has a better idea of where he is and where he's going to be, I decided to join her. Ansel saw me leaving, and he wanted to come," Neville informed.

"If it helps, I was wary to let them help without your permission," Arya remarked, standing up with the help of Shiloh.

"Why was Ren warning you to stay away? Doesn't sound like a lover's message to me," Call snarled.

"Okay, enough with the bitch attitude. Whether you like it or not, I'm searching for him and that requires me to be in your territory. And you know, if I had another wolf in my territory, I'd be wanting to know why he's here. You know why we're here, but why is _he_ here? Like it or not, we have a common goal, and that's to find out why Ren is here. We can either join forces and create a super pack, or you can get the hell out of my way until I find my fiancé. What's it going to be Tor? And for the record, I'll take any of your pack who wants to help me find him. I don't discriminate just because of his relationship with you and them." Arya stared at Calla unwaveringly.

"Count me in. I might be human, but I still love Ren, and I want to help him," Sabine declared, moving over to Arya's side.

"I go where she goes," Ethan said, following her.

"So whipped," Connor remarked.

"That's my brother. We're going," Adne stated, grabbing Connor's hand and dragging him next to Arya.

"Sorry Cal, but he's my old alpha. I have a lot of questions for him. I have to find him," Neville said, going to next to Shiloh.

"I'm not letting him go alone. I'm helping. Sorry Calla," Mason apologized, standing next to Neville and taking his hand. Everyone stared at the four remaining Nightshade members, waiting for their decision.

"Just remember you're not the only alpha making the decisions," Calla warned. "We'll help."

"Thank you. So we-"

"Melinda!" Taki shouted. Everyone whirled around to find the Lightwood omega on her knees, head in her hands.

"What the-" Shay began.

Arya shoved past everyone to get to Melinda; she dropped to her knees and put a reassuring hand on the omega's back. For two minutes, this went on before the omega, still trembling, looked up.

"This is bad. Really, really, bad…" Melinda mumbled.

"What happened? What did you see?" Arya asked softly.

"Lumine. Ren is obeying Lumine. He's recruiting people but I don't know what for. He's doing it for a trade of some sort. I think he's recruiting people in order to rescue people. She said a name. I can't remember what it was."

"Try Melinda. We need as much information as can."

"Um, okay… I think it was Lauren or-or Larran or-"

"Loren?" Arya whispered.

"That's it! Loren! Do you know the name?" Melinda queried.

Shiloh watched as the color quickly drained from his alpha's face. He knelt down next to her. "The name means something to you, doesn't it?" he said.

Arya stood up, expressionless. "War. I'm declaring war on Lumine. We find her location, we hunt her down. She is not going to get out of this alive, and I'll be the one to kill her."

"I've been itching for battle. Let's do this!" Connor agreed excitedly.

"Wait, what's so important about this Loren person though?" Shay interjected.

Arya grimaced. "I'll let you know when I figure it out myself."

* * *

**Anyone surprised? I hope so. Review! :)**


	14. Albertine Rose

**Let's get this story finished :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Ansel, I'm not the sun, stop orbiting and get in here."  
****~Calla Tor**

* * *

Chapter 14: Albertine Rose

**Shay**

The anger radiating off of Calla wasn't normal, and Shay could feel every ounce of it. She didn't like following Arya's orders, much less following Arya to find Calla's old flame. Thinking of Ren made Shay want to growl. Did the alpha even know how much grief and sorrow he'd brought upon the Nightshade pack? For weeks they'd tried to call him, trying to reach him and tell him to come back so they could talk. But he never picked up, and finally Calla ordered everyone to stop contacting him. Shay blamed himself for the Bane alpha's departure. Ren and Calla had had a bond that couldn't be broken, even if the love was only one way. But now Shay began to think that Ren had moved on, at least according to the massive diamond Arya was rocking on her finger.

At the moment, Arya paced up and down the living room of Calla and Shay's house while Connor, Sabine, Ethan, and Adne worked their magic in locating Lumine's house. It wasn't that difficult to find truthfully. Because of the Keepers' failure of keeping their powers, they didn't have the ability to hide their names on tax records, and within the hour, the Searchers found her address. It was about an hour outside of Vail in the middle of nowhere.

"Guys, one thing, how do we know he'll even be there?" Neville piped up.

"Damn, and we were on a roll," Connor muttered.

"We need a trap. We need to actually see Ren so one of us can follow him," Sabine said.

"What kind of trap would lure Ren out of a two-month hiding spree?" Ethan asked.

The group fell silent, all trying to come up with an idea. It was Shay who spoke. "We find his weak spot and exploit it."

"Well what's his weak spot? Even when he was our alpha, we were never able to figure it out," Neville replied. He turned to Arya, giving her a questioning, hopeful look.

"I got nothing," she admitted.

"We use something he loves against him," Calla declared. Everyone stared at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Well he loves his pack but he hasn't been picking up for us so I don't think love has anything to do with it. He's just being an obstinate son of a bitch," Shiloh grumbled.

"This is only about love," Calla said firmly. "Ren's weak spot is the girl he loves. It used to be me, but now that's shifted to Arya. Arya is his weak spot. She has been ever since she rescued him."

"But I've tried calling him and-" Arya began.

"We need a new tactic. Something that he won't be able to resist. Shay, if you were in Ren's position, what's something that would get you to come to me?"

"If I heard someone was about to kill you," Shay replied, wondering where his girlfriend was going with this.

"That's too risky. We can't have someone trying to kill Arya."

"Wow, I thought you'd be gung-ho for that option," Arya commented.

Calla gave her a wry smile but didn't comment on it. "What's another way, Shay?"

"If I saw you with another guy. If there's _anything_ Ren and I share in common, it's that we're both protective of our girls."

"I don't want to get with another guy," Arya said, shifting uneasily from foot to foot.

"Maybe you don't have to actually get with him, but maybe some dirty dancing-" Bryn began.

"The club downtown. We get dressed up, go partying, and we send a pic of Arya dancing with another guy to him," Sabine offered.

"The plan sounds good but I don't want to lead on a guy, nor do I want a guy to get the wrong impression," the Lightwood alpha argued.

"Maybe we can get a few Searchers out here, and one can be your partner. Ren didn't know many so he won't suspect anything. Another thing, who's going to send the text? If it's one of Arya's pack, he's going to think it's a trap, which it is. If it's one of Calla's pack, he'll definitely know it's a trap," Adne pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Ansel said. Everyone turned to look at him. "I met Arya before she came here. If I send him something about her, he won't think it's weird because I know who she is and I know what she looks like. I'll be the one to send the text. He surely still has the same cell number."

"He never changed it when he came to us that I know of," Arya said.

"Good. Another thing, Ren would know that we'd never let her do this, so it has to look like she went alone," Shiloh remarked. "I recommend that we sit this one out, meaning if anything bad happens to her, we'll rip your throats out. Understand?"

"Understood," Shay confirmed. "Okay, anything else we need to do to make it seem more authentic?"

"We need to get ready. The club is open until three but it'll take us an hour to get ready and it's already ten. Come on, Arya, I have the perfect dress for you. We need something that will make Ren want to kill somebody," Calla said.

"Make sure he doesn't. I don't want to be visiting him in jail," Arya groaned. She followed the Nightshade alpha up the stairs; the girls of both packs followed. Shiloh came to stand next to Shay and said, "Why do I get the feeling my alpha is really going to hate what Calla is going to make her wear?"

"Because she is," Shay confessed. "Especially if it's the dress I think she has in mind."

"What do you mean?"

The corner of Shay's mouth lifted into a half-smile. "On Calla, it's a dress. But with Arya being so much taller, it's going to look like a shirt on her."

Shiloh groaned.

* * *

**So what do you think of the plan? Think it's going to work? Review! :)**


	15. Silver Moon Rose

**Wow, three chapters in a day. I think that might be a new record for me! Fair warning, there is a little bit of cussing in this chapter.**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Just because you're a warrior doesn't mean you can't be enticing."  
****~Naomi Tor**

* * *

Chapter 15: Silver Moon Rose

**Ansel**

The guys heard the girls before they saw them. Some of them giggling, others groaning. Actually only one was groaning, and Ansel didn't need to see the girl to know who. When the girls came downstairs, Shiloh spewed his drink out. Thankfully it was water, although Rigg wasn't too happy about the new bath he received.

"Come on Shiloh!" he groaned. "What was that- holy shit, Arya!"

The Lightwood alpha blushed so profusely that you could see her natural blush underneath the makeup blush. The guys stared at her, making her obviously very uncomfortable, but the way she looked…

The dress was very, very short on her. It was white with silver swirls on it. Her silver stilettos were four inches high. She had the smoky eye thing going on, a frosty pink lip gloss, and a shimmering blush. Her jewelry consisted of silver hoops and a simple diamond necklace. It was Arya's hair that made the look though. Someone had curled it into big waves immaculately. Not one hair was out of place. It flowed down her back and over her shoulders.

"I don't approve," Shiloh said.

"That makes two of us. This dress is a shirt on me!" Arya exclaimed furiously, tugging on the bottom of the dress to pull it down and then pulling the dress up. Ansel saw Shay holding back a smile since he'd made that comment as the girls had gone upstairs.

"I told you we needed something that would make Ren want to kill someone," Calla remarked. She herself was wearing a tight, dark green dress. Her hair was up in a bun and her eyeliner winged out, making her golden eyes pop out.

"You're making me want to kill someone. And that person is you," Arya growled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Where's Connor and Adne?"

"Right here," Connor announced. Arya whirled around to face the portal that had suddenly appeared. Connor, Adne, and two other Searchers came through. "I'd like to introduce you to Steve and Jack. They'll be helping us tonight."

"Hi," Arya greeted.

"I told you she wasn't happy about this. But hey, on the bright side Arya, you won't have to worry about them making a move on you," Connor said.

"Why's that?"

"They root for the other team," he chuckled. "Thought it'd make you feel a little less dirty than you already are."

"How kind of you," she mused.

"We ready everyone?" Ansel asked. The Nightshade pack and Arya nodded. Shiloh kissed Arya on the top of her head and said, "If you need us, call us. Don't hesitate."

"I won't. I'll see you later, okay?" She gave her second a small shove towards the door. He and the rest of the Lightwood pack left. The people that were left went outside and got in the cars. Arya rode with Mason and Neville. The trip to the club took fifteen minutes, and the line was short to get in so they didn't wait long at all. The room itself was packed with people dancing. The room was hot and stuffy, and the flashing lights annoyed Ansel.

"Come on, doll, let's start dancing," Jack said with a smile, grabbing Arya's hand and leading her to the dance floor. The rest of the Nightshade pack went and found a secluded booth. They waited for ten minutes before Ansel sent the text.

**To: Ren  
****Are you and Arya still together?**

* * *

**Ren**

He was just getting ready to go to bed when his phone buzzed, alerting him he had a text. Ren unlocked his phone, scrunching his face in confusion when he saw Ansel's name on the screen. Opening the message, a cold feeling settled in his stomach. Of course he was. What would give Ansel that idea?

**To: Ansel  
****Yeah why?**

He waited impatiently for his old friend to respond. He paced up and down his room for what felt like an eternity. When his phone buzzed again, Ren hurriedly read the text.

**From: Ansel  
****She's sort of dirty dancing with some guys at the club I'm at.**

A growl erupted from Ren's throat. What was she playing at? Why was she doing it? Where was their pack and why weren't they stopping her? But then something dawned on Ren. What if this was a trap to get him cornered?

**To: Ansel  
****Send me a picture.**

Worry and anger gnawed at him as he sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. Maybe he'd pushed her to do this. Maybe being gone for so long and then having her be so close yet so far away from him had pushed her to do this. Ren didn't want to think about why. He just wanted proof. And that proof came a few minutes later. Sure enough, Arya was grinding with a guy. She was wearing the shortest dress he'd ever seen. It wasn't Arya's style, but she looked phenomenal nonetheless. Without even thinking of the consequences, Ren called Ansel.

"Ren!"

"Where the hell is her pack?" Ren demanded.

"I don't think they're here. I haven't seen her speaking to anyone else," Ansel answered.

"Stop her. Stop her now."

"I don't think she'd even remember me! What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing! It's a long story. Where are you?"

"That club we all used to go to. Efron's old place."

"I'm coming down there. Make sure she doesn't go anywhere."

"Got it."

The two hung up and Ren grabbed his coat. Lumine had already gone to bed, but her guards were standing outside her bedroom door. When they gave him an inquiring glance, he simply said he had some recon to do. They didn't question him any further. Ren got in his the car he'd been using the past couple months and headed down to the center of Vail. When he got there, no line could be seen at the club, so he was able to walk right in. He found Ansel waiting for him in the front.

* * *

**Ansel**

"Hey man, good to see you," Ansel greeted.

"You too. Thanks for calling me. Where is she?" Ren asked.

"I just saw her somewhere. I'll help you find her," he said. Ansel wanted to find Arya first before Ren because she'd gotten progressively bolder throughout the night, dancing with more people than just the Searchers. Ansel didn't know what had gotten into her, but he wasn't the only one to notice. The entire Nightshade pack had tried to get her to stop, but Arya didn't listen. It was almost as if she was drunk, but that wasn't possible. She wasn't old enough, and the bartender would've wanted to see her ID. Ansel had noticed that all the guys she chose to dance with resembled Ren: tall, dark hair, blue eyes.

"What the hell?" Ren breathed. Ansel followed the alpha's line of gaze and felt his mouth drop open. Arya was making out with a guy whose hands were roaming all over her body. Looking back at Ren, Ansel understood immediately he needed backup. Ren clearly wanted to kill and didn't care about the consequences. Thankfully, Neville, Mason, Shay, Connor, Ethan, Sabine, Adne, Bryn, and Calla appeared next to them. Ren didn't even notice. He was already making his way towards his fiancée.

"Connor, Ethan, grab him. We'll get the guy out of here. Girls, get Arya away from her," Calla commanded quietly. The guys nodded before going after Ren.

* * *

**Ren**

A red haze descended on his vision at the sight of Arya kissing another guy. What the hell was she doing? He knew she knew what she was doing. She had to. Arya was a good girl, only a bad girl for him. And who did this asshole think he was, making out with some random girl? This guy was dead. Ren didn't care what happened, but he was going to stop it. Whether the guy made it out alive didn't matter.

Ren didn't even remember ripping the guy away from Arya and throwing the first punch, but he was about to go for a second round when people grabbed his arms, holding him back. He struggled violently and actually made some headway. A familiar voice swore at Ren's strength.

"Since when did he get this strong?" The voice grouched.

"Just keep a hold of him!" another guy snapped.

Ren looked back at the guy he'd attacked. Arya was next to him, cupping his face. Ren growled, loud enough for her to here. She looked up at him. All the color drained from her face, but that didn't stop her from looking utterly pissed off. Arya walked up to him and punched him square in the face. He grunted from the pain. His vision blurred for a second but when it came back into focus, he saw Calla, Bryn, Sabine, and Adne all fighting to keep Arya at bay.

"Get into one of the private rooms," Calla barked. The group listened and within a few seconds was secluded in one of the VIP rooms. However, neither Ren nor Arya was let go. The Nightshade pack didn't trust them not to go at each other.

"What the hell was that Arya?!" Ren shouted.

"What the hell was that? What the hell is with you leaving me for two months with no damn text, call, or anything?" She fired back, slurring her words.

"Guys, let her go. If she wants to hit me, she can go ahead and do it," Ren said. "And you can let me go. I'm not going to do anything."

Hesitantly, the Nightshade pack did as told. Arya and Ren stood facing each other, neither speaking a word. She swayed on her feet, making Ren wonder where she'd gotten the alcohol, because it was apparent to him that she was drunk. He could see and smell it.

"Why, Ren? Why couldn't you contact me? And what the hell are you doing taking orders from Lumine?"

"Because nothing I could've said or done would've stopped you from coming after me. How do you know about Lumine?"

"Melinda's been having visions about you. That's how we've known where to go to find you. She had a vision about you and Lumine talking. Did you not want me to come after you?"

"No, I didn't!"

Ren might as well have punched her in the face for the way she looked at him. There was a tic in her jaw as she thought of what to say next. Arya looked down at the floor for a minute before glancing back at Ren. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he said without hesitation.

"Why did you ask me to marry you?"

Ren was speechless. He couldn't explain why he wanted to marry her. There were so many things he could say, but for some reason, he knew nothing could convince her. So he said the only thing he thought would make her understand: "Remember that inscription on your ring?"

"Of course."

"That's why."

"Are you sure?" Arya slowly walked up to him. "Because if you want my opinion, I think it's because I look like her."

Ren shook his head in disbelief. "What?"

"Look at me and look at her!" Arya yelled, pointing at Calla. "How can you not see the resemblance between us?"

* * *

**Shay**

A collective silence fell about the group after that statement. Calla had the decency to blush; Arya had the decency to lower her finger and glower at Ren. The more Shay compared the two female alphas together, the more he realized Arya was right. From the almond shape of the eyes to the blonde hair to even the attitude, Calla and Arya significantly resembled each other.

"So you look alike, that means nothing. Don't you think I would've dated a girl that looked nothing like the girl who broke my heart so I wouldn't think about her?" Ren wrangled furiously.

"That was a year ago, Ren! I thought you were over it by now but you clearly aren't. You know what? Here." Arya practically ripped her ring off, grabbed Ren's hand, and placed it there. "Have your ring back, and when you're not still pining over her, let me know. But you better damn well hope I haven't moved on from you, because if I have, I won't take you back."

With that, Arya stormed out of the room, wobbling in her heels from being drunk. She still made a good exit though.

"Ren?" Sabine prodded cautiously, stepping towards her former alpha. He didn't say anything. "Ren, say something."

He sank onto the couch, staring out the doorway. "I keep losing the people I love."

"Well maybe you should go after her. Girls like to be chased," Bryn suggested.

"No, I-I can't. I have a job to finish."

"What is so damn important about this job?" Calla snapped.

He looked at her sadly. "It's for her… I'm doing this for her, and she hates me for it."

* * *

**Did y'all like it? If so, review! :)**


	16. Cherokee Rose

**I'm having so much fun writing this! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**The road ahead is unknown to all. I cannot offer you wisdom or guidance. Only the promise that I will never leave you."  
****~Barrow Hess**

* * *

Chapter 16: Cherokee Rose

**Arya**

Something was wrong, and not just because she broke off her engagement. Arya felt funny, like she was drunk. In fact, she was drunk. But how? She'd only been drinking diet coke. Maybe someone had spiked it without her looking, but wouldn't she have smelled the alcohol? Then again, she had been emotionally compromised all night. It wouldn't surprise her if a pig flew in front of her and she didn't notice.

The longer she walked, the clearer her head became, and the worse she felt. She didn't remember any part of the night except arriving at the club and suddenly seeing Ren. Anything in between those times was completely blank to her.

Upon arriving at the hotel, she found her entire pack waiting for her. She stared at them in shock.

"Arya!" Shiloh exclaimed, rushing to her side. "What happened?"

"I-I don't remember," she admitted.

"You remember something. You're crying," Carrie pointed out.

"I am?" Arya wiped her hand underneath her eyes. Sure enough, a mixture of tears, mascara, and eyeliner came off. "Damn…"

"Let's get you upstairs," Shiloh urged, grabbing onto her hand and leading her to the elevator. Once to her room, Arya slipped out of her dress and into sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Her pack crowded into her room once she was dressed. She explained all that she remembered as she took off her makeup.

"On the bright side, at least the plan worked," Dmitri remarked.

"Worked a little too well," Arya grumbled, crawling into her bed.

"Where is he now?" Erin queried.

"Hell if I know and hell if I care. We're done."

"For now," MJ finished. Arya gave a small smile. She really just wanted to be left alone and Shiloh seemed to pick up on that. He ordered everyone to go to bed. He kissed on Arya on her forehead and left, leaving her alone to her thoughts. Arya wanted to cry. She wanted to cry so badly. But crying would do nothing. Instead, she closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

* * *

**Shiloh**

The next day, Arya, Rigg, Dmitri, Shiloh, and Ray went to Calla's house to drop off her dress. Shay opened the door. He gave them a smile.

"Hey, everything okay?" He asked.

"It's been better, but yeah, everything's okay. I just wanted to return the dress back to Calla. And the shoes. And the jewelry," Arya explained, raising the bag in her arm. Shay called Calla down. She slid down the banister for the stairs.

"Hey! Thanks!" she said sincerely.

"No problem. Thanks for letting me wear it. Sorry about what happened last night. I swear I'm not like that. Um, so, I don't remember what happened between the time I got to the club and when I saw Ren. That worries me. Do you know?"

Shay and Calla spared a glance at each other. "Why don't you come in and we'll explain," Shay offered. Knowing this wasn't going to be a good story, Arya and her group took up the invitation.

* * *

"I _kissed_ a guy?!" Arya squeaked, color rapidly draining out of her face.

"Made out with him. Ren lost it and punched him. That's where your memory apparently comes back," Calla explained.

"Oh my god…" Arya groaned, banging her head on the dining room table. "I didn't mean to! I was drunk! Someone spiked my drink and I don't know how and oh my god…"

"Don't worry about it. I think Ren's more upset about you breaking off the engagement rather than you kissing the guy because he knew you were drunk," Shay said.

"The engagement is still off. I'm not reconsidering that until Ren comes back with his answer."

"Pardon the pun, but he looked like a pup who'd been hit by a semi after you left."

"That's a horrible pun, Shay, verbally and mentally. And I don't think Arya wants to talk about Ren at the moment. Listen, how long are you going to be in town?" Calla inquired.

"I don't know. Probably not long. Now that we found Ren, and with what happened, we'll probably head home soon. Why?" Arya responded.

"My pack and I are going on a hunt later. We wanted to see if you and your pack wanted to join," Shay said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. There's this huge herd of deer that's been hanging near the Haldis cave. We could use some help. What do you say?"

"What time do you want us to meet you here?" Arya said with a smile.

"How about six?"

"Sounds good."

With that, Shiloh and his group left.

* * *

**Arya**

Just five minutes past six, the Lightwood pack arrived at Calla's house for a third time since they'd been there. Calla and her pack were waiting outside for them.

"Hey, so how do you want to split up this hunt? My pack can all feed on one deer. I don't think yours can," Calla chuckled.

"We'll have two groups of six and one group of seven. We figured it out before we came. Alright Tor, lead the way," Arya said before shifting into wolf form. The rest of the Guardians followed in suit and were soon on their way up to Haldis cave. The trip took a while because the group kept getting distracted and playing jokes on each other. Dmitri and Rigg took it upon themselves to mess with Mason and Neville by occasionally sneaking up behind the two wolves and biting their tails.

_Hey, Arya, Ren told us about you and your pack. For the record, we think that's super awesome you can do that_. Shay commented.

_What do you mean?_ Arya inquired, not having the slightest idea what he meant.

_Your ability to change coat colors._

_Oh, thanks. And thanks for not calling us mutants_. She laughed.

_No problem. Hey, did he go after you last night?_

_No._

_I was just wondering. No one's heard from him again and-_

_Stop. _Calla ordered. All the wolves came to a halt, sniffing the air around them. Besides their scents, a new one lingered in the air. A fresh one. _A new pack is here_.

_How is that possible? _Bryn asked, standing next to her alpha. _We would've smelled them before._

_Unless they just came tonight._ Shiloh suggested.

_Guys, by that big rock over there, do you see what I'm seeing?_ Arya questioned seriously. Everyone looked to where she mentioned. Nine pairs of eyes were staring back at them, neither angry nor scared. More… curious. _Surround them. We need to find out why they're here._

The Lightwood pack dispersed while Arya and the Nightshade pack moved forward. Sensing what was going on, the new wolves high-tailed it out of there, or at least attempted to. Part of the Lightwood pack was already there to block them. Taki, MJ, Walter, Frank, and Leyla were snarling, forcing the new wolves to back up. Within seconds, they were cornered by the circle combination of the Lightwood and Nightshade packs. All but one wolf cowered at Arya's growls. He lowered his head to show submission though.

_Who are you?_ Arya demanded.

_Is it really you A?_ The leading wolf asked.

_Depends on who you are._

_Still feisty I see._

_Show yourself. _Arya changed forms, attempting not to shiver at the freezing temperatures. Everyone else did the same. Arya wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't this. The guy she'd been speaking to was tall, black-haired, and had green eyes. There were two brunette girls, two guys with blonde hair who looked identical, two black-haired girls, a brunette guy, and another black-haired boy. The more she took in their appearance, as haggard and tired as it was, and the more she let herself take in their scent, the more she believed and disbelieved they were there.

"Arya, do you know them?" Shiloh questioned warily, giving the tall, black-haired guy a warning look.

"I do but… they're supposed to be dead." Arya shook her head, a sudden ager bursting through. She thundered, "I saw you die! All of you!"

"It was a trick, Arya! We thought you died too!" the guy responded. Arya stepped towards him furiously, causing him to take a step back.

"Where have you been then?"

"We've been imprisoned. By Lumine."

"Arya, who are they?" Shiloh intervened, stepping next to his alpha. The guy she'd been speaking to narrowed his eyes at her second.

"I forgot to make introductions." As he pointed to the respective person, the guy introduced, "This is Dean and Sam Fray; they're the jokester twins of the group. There's Casey Gray, Tracy Stein, Reyna Nelson, Jake Johnson, Tony Parker, and I'm Loren Hess. I'm Arya's second."

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Her old pack is back. Hope you enjoyed! Please review :)**


	17. Banshee Rose

**Ah this is getting so much fun to write!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**That is all your strength and none of mine."  
****~Barrow Hess**

* * *

Chapter 17: Banshee Rose

"I'm her second," Shiloh stated firmly, his nostrils flaring.

"Let's ask the alpha. Arya, who's your second?" Loren queried, a confident glint appearing in his eye.

"You were my second. Shiloh's my second now," she said emotionlessly. Her mind was trying to wrap around the fact that her pack she'd watched die was standing in front of her, alive and well.

"What do you mean he's your second?" Loren looked flabbergasted.

"Watch your tone Loren. Don't forget I was your alpha," Arya warned, absent-mindedly standing straighter and putting on a more superior expression. "You've been dead to me for almost a decade. This pack you see now, they saved me. They're my pack now."

"So what are we?" Casey spoke up. She walked up slowly next to Loren, looking sad. "Tell me we're not nothing to you anymore."

You're whatever you want to be to me. But Loren is not my second anymore. And you'll always be something to me, Casey. Never think otherwise."

"So why not just come back to us? He said you'd accept us again," Jake declared, looking angry.

"Because I don't know how to respond to the pack I thought was dead for almost half my life when I've already established a new pack and- hang on, who said I'd accept you again?"

The old Lightwood pack shifted on their feet, obviously unsure of how to approach this, which only irked Arya more. She had to know who this person was, although a sinking feeling in her stomach already guessed who it was.

"Give it to her, Loren," Reyna insisted softly. Arya turned her gaze back to her former second, glaring at him expectantly. He pulled something out of his pocket, walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and placed the object in her hand. He clasped her hand in his hands and said, "He wanted you to have this, as a reminder of his love for you and so you'll never forget him."

Trembling, Arya opened her hands. Her engagement ring glittered in the moonlight. A single tear fell straight into the center of the ring onto the palm of her hand before she slid it onto her ring finger. Suddenly, she grabbed Loren by the lapels of his jacket, demanding heatedly, "Where is he? For the love of God, you better tell me where he is right now or I will have nothing to do with any of you for the rest of my life. Do you understand?"

"Lumine's. He's at Lumine's. He was recruiting people to be her guards in order to free us. The catch was that he couldn't see you no matter what happened. She found out about the club because the bartender that worked there keeps tabs for her. He spiked your drink, hoping you'd get so drunk that you'd pass out and he'd be able to bring you to her. Ren is being punished for seeing you," Reyna informed. Arya let go of Loren and turned to the raven-haired girl.

"You're going to lead me to Lumine's, and you're going to do it now. I am not letting Ren die."

"Arya, we can't fight. We literally don't have it in us. It nearly killed us running all the way from her house to you," Tracy remarked sadly.

"I'll call Adne. I'll have her weave a portal here, and then have her weave a portal to Lumine's house," Calla offered.

"Do it now. Time is short. Loren, Casey, Tracey, Dean, Sam, Jake, Reyna, Tony, I want you to go to-"

"Our house. They can go to my house. It's closer than your hotel and they can have all the food and drink they want. I'm assuming you can smell your way their?" Shay asked.

"We can do it," Dean assured.

"Good. Then go. Rest up. I'll see you later… one last thing, were you… the only Guardians she was keeping captive?" Arya waited with bated breath.

"What do you mean?" Sam questioned.

"Like… were there any other alphas?"

"Arya, our alphas are dead. Don't worry about it," Shiloh said softly. She gave him a guilty half-smile. Why would she get so lucky as to have her pack survive but not the alphas of the rest of her pack? It wasn't fair to them.

"What the hell is going on?" Adne's voice piped up from behind Arya. The Lightwood alpha quickly explained the situation. Within minutes, the Nightshade and Lightwood packs were walking through a portal to Lumine's house. Connor, Adne, Sabine, and Ethan were right behind them.

"Calla, Adne, you're with me. If I know Lumine, she's going to keep the torture room small, meaning only a couple of us can fit. You're with me when we bust down the door to get Ren. The rest of you, patrol the house, scavenge it to see if she has any books the Scribes might want to catalogue. Take anything that could be potentially dangerous for a Keeper to have. Understand?" Arya ordered.

"Let me come with you," Shiloh argued.

"No, do as I say Shi. I'll be fine. If I need back up, I'll let you know." She kissed him on the cheek, knowing he was miffed by the comments of Loren. "You'll always be my second."

"I better be. Someone needs to keep you out of trouble," he grumbled, but his smile took the venom out of the sentence.

"Okay, Calla. You ready?"

"Let's go get your fiancée."

The Guardians shifted into wolf form. Arya let out a long howl. One by one, the others replied. When they were finished, Arya and Calla bounded up the front steps, intent on making Lumine pay for her crimes once and for all.

* * *

**Let's hope Ren's okay :P (Hint: he's _). Please review :)**


	18. Crimson Glory Rose

**Did y'all like the last chapter? I hope so. This story will be done in a soon!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Do you have other minions? Because these two are idiots."  
**_**~Snakeroot**_

* * *

Chapter 18: Crimson Glory Rose

**Ren**

He was pinned down on the floor by six of Lumine's new bodyguards, one's he'd recruited for her. They'd punched him senseless. Blood filled his mouth, and his vision became spotty.

"Don't hurt her. Please," Ren begged. "I did want you wanted. Leave them be."

"You went against my orders. You went and saw her during your mission. Does she know why you're doing it?"

"No. In fact we're not together anymore. She broke off the engagement," Ren mumbled, hating the sound of the weakness in his voice. His mind suddenly flashed back to the night Arya had given back her ring. The look of utter determination not to break in front of him scared him, but it was her words that petrified him most. Had he, unconsciously, chosen Arya because she resembled Calla? He couldn't believe he'd do something like that, but it was certainly a possibility.

"Do you want to know why you and Arya are so irresistibly attracted to each other?" Lumine queried. Her back faced him, so he couldn't see what was in front of her or what she was doing. It worried him. He didn't know what she was going to do to him. "I assume you know what happened to your mother, how she became a traitor to our cause. You're the offspring of her and the Searcher Monroe. See, before that, we had three packs: Bane, Nightshade, and Lightwood. Arya was the youngest of all of you, but she was already an alpha. We could just tell. We let you decide, Ren, which girl you wanted. Even as babies, you two were irresistibly attracted to each other. You both practically ostracized Calla. We decided you and Arya would combine packs. Then your mother did what she did; we decided then to make sure you and Calla got together. Your affection for her was out of the idea you had always been meant to marry her. You and Arya have a real connection. Sad, since it's about to be broken. Oh, and we made sure your mother knew you would not end up with the girl you chose to make sure she was in pain when she died, not only physically but mentally as well."

"You bitch!" Ren roared, straining against the six men holding him. One socked him in the side of the head. Lumine slashed something against the side of Ren's cheek, but he felt nothing.

"See this blade? It's so sharp that you won't feel a thing if it cuts you." She brought the blade up to his face again, but he couldn't anything. It frightened him. "The more I cut you, the more you'll bleed. I cut you enough, you'll bleed out. That is my full intention. However, in the unlikely event your fiancée comes for you-"

"Ex-fiancée. I told you, she broke off the engagement," Ren snapped.

"Feisty even when he's helpless. A true alpha. As I was saying, in the unlikely event Arya comes to get you, I have another plan. One that will cause pain for her too, which really sounds more fun." Lumine smiled viciously. "Let's get started."

* * *

**Arya**

They moved silently, cautiously through the house. The lack of noise caused Arya to have a ominous feeling that something was very, very wrong. Shay, Shiloh, Bryn, Carrie, Ray, Dmitri, Rigg, and Derek went upstairs in their search. Neville, Mason, Ethan, Sabine, Connor, Melinda, and Erin took the first floor. The rest of the pack stayed outside, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

_I smell blood._ Arya said grimly.

_I was hoping I was only imagining it, but yeah, I smell it too._ Calla replied. The two white wolves continued walking forward while Adne took up the back, her weapons out, ready for an attack. Arya shifted into human form and opened the door to the basement.

"Be ready," she whispered. "I'm positive he's down here."

She went back to being a wolf and padded swiftly, noiselessly down the stairs. Calla and Adne trailed closely behind. When she got downstairs, Ren was lying motionless on the floor, blood seeping out of thin gashes that covered his face, arms, and torso.

"I thought she'd come, Renier. Look, she even brought Calla and Adne," Lumine's voice purred. "This is perfect."

Arya ignored Lumine, wherever she was, and started running towards Ren. His eyes flicked over to her. They were filled with despair, pain, and anguish. She was almost to him when something slammed into her chest, sending her flying back into the wall. The pain caused her to turn human as she gasped to catch her breath. Looking up, Arya saw a man, at least six-foot-six and two or three hundred pounds of pure muscle staring down at her. He looked at her with an avid curiosity, but she knew that wouldn't deter him from hurting her if she attacked him suddenly. Glancing to her right, Arya saw Calla and Adne pinned by another guard. She should've seen this coming. She should've known Lumine would have bodyguards.

"Well, well, well, isn't this special. You know, I was planning on killing him, but I'll do something much better. I'll poison him," the former Keeper chirped happily, grabbing a bottle off her shelf. "This is basic magic, but easily done if you know your spell work."

Lumine unscrewed the lid to the small vial. Ren started trembling, as if trying to get away from her, but for some reason, he couldn't move. She knelt next to him and poured the silvery liquid into his mouth. She clamped her hand over his mouth, forcing him to swallow.

"Get away from him!" Arya snarled. She went wolf and attacked the guard blocking her. He raised his hands to shield himself from her bite, but instead of biting his arms, Arya went low, clamping onto his calf and yanking his leg from underneath him. He cried out in pain. His comrade let go of Calla and Adne which was a big mistake. Calla changed forms and snapped her jaws onto his arm. Adne swung a punch at his head, knocking him down to the ground. Arya leapt at Lumine who dodged out of the way. Shifting to human form, Arya lunged at her former Keeper, grabbing a hold of her shirt and slamming her against the wall. Lumine kicked Arya in the stomach, making her double over. The Keeper then elbowed her in the back, causing Arya to collapse to the ground. Rolling away from Lumine, she turned to Adne and Calla, who had easily subdued the guards, knocking them both unconscious, and shouted, "Get Ren out of here! Lumine is mine!"

"Arya leave her!" Adne yelled, running to her brother. "Come with us!"

"No, get out of here now. Get Ren to safety. I'll be out shortly."

Adne and Calla shared a disapproving look, but since this was Arya's expedition, they obeyed. The two girls lifted Ren's arms around their shoulders, dragging him up the stairs and out of the basement. Arya turned back to Lumine, who was grinning maliciously at her.

"Well? Attack me," the Keeper urged. Arya smiled before throwing a knife straight at the Keeper's chest. The knife was off mark slightly, landing in Lumine's stomach instead. The woman gasped, looking down. Her hand fell from behind her back, showing a gleaming blade dripping with blood. It reeked of Ren. Knowing that was the knife that had been used to torture her fiancé, Arya snarled and turned around, grabbing more knives. She faced Lumine again who was advancing on her. One by one, Arya threw each weapon, and each one landed in a different spot on Lumine. But the Keeper didn't stop coming. Finally, losing her patience and temper, Arya went for Lumine's throat, changing into a wolf mid-air. Her jaws connected with Lumine's throat and she chomped down without second thoughts.

* * *

**Shiloh**

"Shiloh! We need help!" Adne panted from the doorway. The group whirled around to find the Searcher and Calla supporting an unconscious, bloody Ren. The Lightwood second ran to take the weight off the two girls. Ethan helped him.

"Where's Arya?" Shiloh demanded.

"Downstairs fighting Lumine," Calla replied.

"You left her down there by herself?!" he roared.

"We had no choice! If we didn't get Ren out of there, Lumine would've killed him. Arya told us to get Ren out of here. Follow her orders. She's your alpha," she admonished.

"Screw that. Connor, take him. I'm going for Arya." Connor barely got to Ren before Shiloh bolted down to the basement. He was met by Arya halfway down.

"I'm fine. Lumine's dead. Where's Ren?" she queried exhaustedly.

"They're getting him outside. What the hell were you thinking fighting Lumine by yourself? You could've gotten hurt! You could've gotten killed!" he growled.

"I'm fine though. Please, let's just get to Ren. He's really bad off Shi… really, really bad," she said quietly. Shiloh felt bad for yelling at her and took her hand, leading her back upstairs. The house had been emptied save for the seven knocked out guards that were in the living room and the two in the basement. The Guardians were outside, circling around a body that Shiloh simply knew was Ren. Adne was in the process of weaving a portal. Connor, Ethan, and Sabine stood guard in case someone tried to attack. Thankfully no one did.

"Arya!" Nancy shrieked

"What?" Arya looked at her pack mate with concern.

"Your back!"

"Oh sh-" Shiloh began. A sharp pain exploded in Arya's back, causing her to collapse to the ground on her hands and knees. "I told you that you shouldn't have fought her alone." He held up the blade that had been embedded in her back.

"Ouch," she muttered. "I'm fine. I need to get to Ren."

"Portal's ready! I see the others waiting for us," Adne announced. Shiloh supported Arya as they followed the pack into the portal to Calla's house. The moment the two were through the portal, Loren Hess was on the other side of Arya, helping Shiloh support her. If he hadn't been so worried about his alphas, Shiloh would've been angry. But there were more important matters at hand.

"She needs blood," Loren said, looking over at Shiloh.

"Let's get her in the living room," Shiloh told him. "We'll get her comfortable first."

The two guys led Arya in the living room where Connor and Ethan had also decided to bring Ren. The Lightwood alpha was barely conscious on the couch, watching the proceedings around him. Ren watched Shiloh and Loren place Arya in the recliner and watched Shiloh cut his forearm and hold it to Arya's mouth. When she insisted she'd had enough, Shiloh took his arm away. She still looked pale and sickly, but after a quick check of her back, he felt sure she'd be okay because the wound was already starting to heal.

"Where am I?" Ren croaked.

"Safe, sweetie. You're safe," Arya breathed, giving him a smile.

His eyes narrowed in on her. "Who are you and where's Calla?"

Shiloh didn't think it was possible, but Arya blanched so white, he thought she had actually died. "What did you say?"

"Calla. Where is she? And who are you? Why did you kill a Keeper? Do you have any idea what they'll do to you?" he demanded weakly, struggling to sit up. "Who do you think you are?"

"You really don't know who I am, do you?"

"Obviously not."

Arya sighed, staring at him. "I give up," she murmured before closing her eyes. She didn't wake up until morning.

* * *

**Did I surprise y'all? I hope so! Please review!**


	19. Celsiana Rose

**Lovely news today! I just got accepted into the college of my dreams! I'm so, so, so happy! Anyways, enjoy the chapter! :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**I'm a fighter, not a lover."  
****~Calla Tor in **_**Nightshade**_

* * *

Chapter 19: Celsiana Rose

**Ren**

"What do you mean that girl and I are _engaged_?" Ren hissed, sneaking a glance at the sleeping blonde in the recliner. He remembered talking to her briefly last night and the expression of lost hope when he told her he didn't remember her. She'd simply sighed and gone to sleep. Her name was Arya, and even now, twelve hours later, she still slept soundly. Her second, Shiloh, kept a watchful eye over her, periodically checking the stab wound she'd received last night fighting Lumine. The guy named Loren, Arya's old second, stayed near her too. He and Shiloh didn't seem to like each other but they tolerated each other since they had the same goal: get Arya better.

Ren gave the girl credit for being badass. He didn't know many Guardians who could take on Lumine and win, Keeper or not. Arya looked like Calla, but more exotic. A glittering diamond rested on her ring finger.

"You two were. She cut it off after you two got in a big argument after you left her for two months without saying anything about it and never contacting her. She also accused you of asking her to marry you because she looks like Calla," Ansel informed. "Which, I think she is sort of justified in saying. They do seriously resemble each other."

"I wouldn't marry her for that reason. I just… the war's over? Seriously? And Calla's with _Shay_?" Ren turned to Shiloh. "You're my new pack?"

"We were. I don't know if we are now since you don't remember us nor are you engaged to my alpha anymore," he responded emotionlessly.

"Why is she wearing the ring then?"

"Loren gave it to her when he found her because you told him to give it to her. She put it on her finger and declared war on Lumine. She ordered us to go rescue you."

"Is she going to be okay? I don't think it's necessarily normal for a person to sleep that long in the same position."

"Why worry about her when you don't even remember her?" Shiloh barked angrily at him. With a sigh, he calmly said, "Sorry Ren."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "You're worried about your alpha and your other alpha has lost his memory about her, you, and everything else. You have reason."

"Yeah, but shouting at you isn't going to do anything. Ansel, would you mind if I brought her upstairs to a guest room or something? I need to stretch her out so I can see the wound better."

Something about Shiloh's tone gave Ren an uneasy feeling. Arya wasn't getting better, at least he didn't think so. He doubted Shiloh believed she was.

"Yeah, first door on the left," Ansel replied. Shiloh nodded and scooped Arya up his arms. She didn't stir. He and Loren left, leaving Ren alone with Ansel, Adne, Neville, and Sabine.

"Is there anything I can do to get my memory back?" Ren inquired.

"Connor went back to the academy to talk to the healers to see if there's anything to heal your memory. Every potion has an antidote in my experience. I don't think you're the exception. I think you'll get your memory back, maybe just not for a week or two," Adne said.

"I can't believe I have a little sister," Ren said drolly.

"I finally get to have a big brother torture my boyfriend," she laughed.

"Trust me, I will."

At that moment, Loren came charging down the stairs. He dashed into the kitchen, grabbed a towel, and ran it under freezing water.

"What's going on?" Sabine demanded, standing up.

Loren turned to face them, looking grim. "Arya's taking a turn for the worse."

"I want to see her," Ren said firmly, starting to stand up. His body screamed in pain but he wouldn't listen. He limped over to the stairs and started following Loren. Adne and Sabine helped him up. Neville and Ansel followed closely behind, ready to catch him if he fell. When they reached Arya's room, they found Shiloh at her bedside, dabbing her face with the wet towel Loren had brought him. Loren himself was forcing Guardian blood into her mouth. Arya appeared dead. Her face was ashen and she lay stone-still. If it had been for the sweat falling down her forehead, Ren would've thought the worst.

"What's happening?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

"I think Lumine poisoned the blade that she struck Arya with. It's finally getting into her system. She has a high fever. If it goes any higher, it'll kill her."

Ren felt the color draining from his face. Arya couldn't die. He needed to talk to her, to tell her he'd get his memory back. Even if he didn't remember their relationship, he already felt an intense need to protect her, to care for her.

"Let me give her some blood," Ren said.

"Like hell you are. You can barely walk yourself," Shiloh retorted.

"I don't care! I want to help her!"

"Then get your damn memory back! You're not helping her in your amnesiac, battered state at the moment. Get healed, then you can help her. Go to the academy and talk to the healers themselves. For now, leave her and us alone," Shiloh snapped. Ren bared his teeth but backed off, more because of the sting of the guy's words rather than he was afraid of him.

"Let's go see, Connor," Adne suggested, breaking the tension in the room. She started leading Ren out of the room. But he stopped her. He shrugged off her and Sabine's supportive arms and strode over to Arya. Shiloh stood up, growling a warning not to come closer. With one alpha glare, Ren forced Shiloh to submit. Obviously, the guy still had some feelings that Ren was his alpha.

A strand of hair fell in front of Arya's face, covering her eye. Ren pushed it out of the way and cupped her face, running his thumb across her cheek. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead before whispering, "Come back to me because I'm coming back for you."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed! Let's hope Ren gets his memory back! Review :)**


	20. Chestnut Rose

**Hope you're enjoying so far!**

**Chapter Quote:  
**"**Staring at the wreckage of the life we could have had, I knew it wasn't about love… It was about sacrifice and redemption, loss that could have new meaning."  
****~Calla Tor**

* * *

Chapter 20: Chestnut Rose

**Arya**

Muffled arguing was the first thing she heard. She recognized the voices as Shiloh and Loren, but what they were arguing about, she couldn't decipher. Arya's eyes fluttered open. Her room was dark, but she sensed it was day outside.

"Arya? Please tell me you're awake," a girl's voice queried hopefully.

"Casey?" Arya murmured.

"Carrie and Melinda are here too."

"Hey y'all."

"How are you feeling?" Melinda asked softly.

"Crappy, but all right nonetheless. Has Ren…" Arya trailed off, unable to finish the question. There were so many things about him she wanted to know, like whether he'd gotten his memory back, whether or not he was better, whether or not he had visited her, whether or not he hated her or not, whether or not there was any chance she'd ever be able to get back with him.

"He's okay. His memory is still shot, but the healers at the academy are trying to fix that," Carrie informed.

"So while he's been waiting for the healers, he's spent a lot of time up here with you," Casey said. "Even without his memory, he's completely enraptured with you. Do you want me to go get him?"

"No!" Arya protested weakly. "No, don't force him to come to me."

"Don't you want to see him?" Carrie remarked curiously.

"Of course, but I don't even know what I'd say to him. The best thing I can do for him is to give him space and let him come to me on his own terms. Now can someone explain to me why Loren and Shiloh are arguing?" Arya demanded, struggling to sit up.

"No, no, no, you lay back down. Otherwise we'll quit talking," Casey warned.

Melinda snorted. "If we quit talking, she'll get up and go find out herself, even if she has to crawl to do it."

"Always was stubborn," Casey laughed.

"That has not changed," Carrie added.

"What are they arguing about?" Arya repeated.

"Um, Melinda, why don't you explain?" Carrie suggested.

"Yeah, throw the heat on me why don't you?"

"You have a very calming effect."

"Yeah, sure that's it."

"Melinda, tell me," Arya ordered.

Melinda sighed. "So, except for me, Carrie, and Casey, there's a bit of turmoil between your packs. Shiloh and Loren have been at each other's throats since you've been out."

"How long have I been out?"

"Five days."

"What?!"

"Lumine stabbed you with a knife dipped in poison. It was supposed to slowly kill you but we've been giving you so much blood that it overrode the poison. You'll still be weak for a few more days, but you're going to live thank god. Anyways, they're arguing about who's your pack and who's not. Shiloh is saying your old pack isn't your pack anymore and Loren is saying that we are simply their replacements and that you'll revert back to being their alpha. Ren's been trying to stop it but he's not doing well either."

"What do you mean?" Arya shot up into sitting position. She regretted it immediately as her world spun.

"We told you not to sit up," Carrie groaned.

"What's wrong with Ren?" Arya questioned worriedly.

"He's becoming more and more upset over his lost memory. He's been going AWOL for long periods of time. We don't know where he goes; he's never told us. He's not sleeping. He has horrible bags under his eyes. But on the bright side, at least he's still alive," Casey chirped.

Arya started disentangling herself from the sheets trapping her.

"What are you doing?" Carrie inquired, trying to cover her alpha back up.

"I'm going to shut Shiloh and Loren up. Either help me or get out of my way." Arya's pack decided to help her since they apparently decided she didn't have the strength to do it herself. With their aid, she was able to hobble out of her room and down the stairs. Loren and Shiloh were in the living room, shouting at each other.

"Enough!" Arya barked, swaying unsteadily on her feet. Loren and Shiloh fell silent immediately.

"Thank god you're up," Shiloh breathed, walking up to her. Loren followed. She held up her hand to stop them.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Too much testosterone," Loren said.

"No sarcasm."

"Who are you going to choose, Arya?" Shiloh asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Which pack are you going to choose? Us or them?"

"Shiloh, you can't possibly expect me to make a decision like that."

"I can. They're your original pack. We replaced them. It's a legitimate question."

Arya stared at her second, trying to come up with an answer. She'd been hoping that the two packs would get along so they could combine, but she knew it'd never happen, no matter how much she wished for it to.

"Shiloh, for God's sake, she just woke up. Give her some time," Carrie chastised.

"No, it's fine. He's right."

"So what is it going to be?"

How could she choose? Even after a decade, Arya still deeply cared for her old pack and she felt it was her responsibility to make sure they were all right. But her new pack, she couldn't abandon them. She didn't want to. They were her family. How could she choose? Couldn't there be some way the two could combine? No matter which pack she chose, she'd lose the other one and Arya couldn't bear the mere thought of losing either one, let alone having it actually happen.

"Arya!" Melinda shouted. Arya turned to her omega, looking at her curiously. Suddenly she realized either she'd shrunk to Tinkerbell-size or she'd collapsed onto the ground because the furniture was taller than her.

"What happened?" Arya questioned, utterly confused.

"You had a panic attack because of these two idiots," Melinda said, sending a snarl towards Loren and Shiloh. "You're still not well. Will you please go back upstairs and rest up? You'll be a lot stronger in a few hours."

"No, no, I'll be fine," Arya insisted. "Help me up."

Shiloh and Loren made moves to do so but a growl from Melinda stopped them. "You've helped her enough, don't you think?" she snapped. The two boys stared at the omega in surprise.

"It's fine Melinda. Calm down," Arya consoled as she stood up. "Really, I'm fine. I just need some fresh air. Do y'all want to go on a small walk in the woods?"

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Carrie inquired.

"Positive. The fresh air will do me good. As for you two-" Arya turned to Shiloh and Loren "- stop arguing. We'll decide what's going to happen to our pack when the time comes. For now, let's focus on one thing at a time. That thing is helping Ren get his memory back in whatever way we can and helping him feel like he's part of our pack. My role is slightly different with him but I don't feel like explaining it. Furthermore, Calla and Shay are being nice enough to let us stay here. I expect you to help them whenever they need it. Understood?" The two boys nodded. "Good. I'll see you later. _Behave_."

* * *

**Ren**

He walked slowly around the main house of the Lightwood compound. His scent and Arya's was all over it, but it was faint from months of not being there. Ren decided to go upstairs and find the master bedroom. It was easy to find. There were pictures of him and Arya all over the place. A king-sized bed with a dark blue duvet cover was against one wall, a flat screen TV was straight across from it. They had a walk in closet big enough to have an island in the middle of the room. Their bathroom was made of stone and tile and they had a jet bathtub and a shower where the water could come from all directions. There were his and hers sinks. Ren immediately recognized his side, mainly because all his stuff was there. He glanced up to look at himself in the mirror. Ren stared at the slowly disappearing scar lines from Lumine's knife. By tomorrow, the only reminder he'd have of that torture would be in his mind. The scars would be fully gone tomorrow.

Leaving the master bedroom, Ren went downstairs. There were more pictures down here, but they consisted more of the pack. He went into the kitchen. He checked the fridge. There wasn't any food in there. The same went for the freezer and the pantry. The deserted house gave an eerie feeling, but Ren still felt at home here. He went and sat at the breakfast table to gather his thoughts about everything. He wanted the healers to hurry up with the potion. He wanted his memory back. He wanted to help his pack. He needed to help Arya. At the thought of her, Ren's thoughts traveled to whether or not she'd woken up and had found out about her two packs and how much they were arguing. Arya loved both her packs; she wouldn't be able to choose. Ren fully believed she'd rather leave both than leave one.

"What the- Ren?" A girl stated.

He turned around in surprise, believing him to be the only one here. But he wasn't. Melinda was there, watching him curiously.

"Sorry, I just… wanted some alone time. Hard to do when there are thirty Guardians where you're staying," Ren commented, giving a slightly humorous smile.

"Don't blame you. Sorry for interrupting. I just wanted to let you know Arya's awake. Actually, she's awake and pissed."

"Pissed? At what?"

"Shiloh and Loren. She's mad at them for arguing."

"Is she okay though?"

"Relatively. She's still weak, and overthinking anything causes her to have a panic attack."

"I'm going to kill them," he growled.

Melinda smiled. "It'll all work out. Anyways, I'm just here to grab another coat for Arya. Hers got damaged in the fight with Lumine. Do you want to come back with me or do you want me to tell Adne to come back later?"

"Nah, I'll just come with you." Ren waited patiently for Melinda to grab a coat for Arya before returning to the Nightshade compound with her.

"So that's where you've been," Neville remarked when he saw his old alpha.

"I had reasons," Ren replied.

"I wasn't going to prod."

"I wouldn't have let you."

A small laugh drew Ren's attention from Neville to the stairwell. Carrie and Casey came charging down the stairs, apparently racing each other. They grinned from ear to ear when they finished. Arya trailed behind them walking slowly down the stairs, obviously in pain still. Ren wanted to help her, but he knew she didn't want it. If there was anything about her he knew, it was that she was very independent.

Arya wore jeans and a long sleeve tee shirt. Her hair had been thrown up into a ponytail and she wore enough makeup to hide her paleness. Ren heard Adne snicker so he looked down to see why.

"You look love-struck staring at her," she whispered.

He made a face at her but cleared his throat and asked, "Arya. How are you feeling?"

The Lightwood alpha turned her head in his direction, surprise evident on her face. "Ren," she breathed. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm fine. Just making sure these two don't injure themselves." She nodded towards Carrie and Casey.

"At least we're getting along," Casey pointed out.

"We're working on the others. It's slowly working. The girls are getting along better than the guys. You know with all that testosterone, it's more difficult," Carrie added.

"If the guys cause any problems, let me know. Just because I don't remember them doesn't mean I won't still be their alpha if need be," Ren said.

"Thanks. I'll let you know," Arya replied with a smile. "Well we're going to head out for dinner so I guess I'll see you later?"

"I won't be going anywhere so yeah, you will."

Arya nodded and finished walked down the stairs. Ren disapproved of her going out this early after waking up but who was he to stop her? He couldn't even remember he'd known her. He had to be told.

As the girls disappeared outside, Adne came to stand by Ren. "What's on your mind?" she queried.

"I just wish I remembered her. It's like I know I know her but I don't know where from. I feel like it's deeper than what everyone's telling me."

"Well the healers are working on that memory potion. You'll have it back in no time. For now, why don't you go hang out with the guys? They need something to distract them."

"Yeah… listen, you go hang out with Connor. I've been hogging you. I'll talk to you later okay?" Ren kissed his sister's head and walked out of the compound, wondering if there really was a cure for his memory loss.

* * *

**Hope y'all enjoyed! Please review :)**


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